Haryana Government to approve Rs 43 crore for Kalka judicial complex

Just about a fortnight after the Punjab and Haryana High Court sought a timeline for the construction of the judicial complex and residential houses for judicial officers in Kalka Sub-Division, the Haryana Government has undertaken that the requisite budget of Rs 43 crore will be approved in the ongoing Budget Session.

Taking note of the undertaking, the high court has now directed that the central government be made party to the proceedings through the appropriate department, as 60 per cent of the funds for the construction of courtrooms and judicial officers’ residences come from the Centre and 40 per cent from the state.

The directions by the division bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel came during the hearing of a public interest petition filed by Vijay Bansal against the State of Haryana and others. The bench, on the previous date of hearing, had observed that a “communication gap” and a “serious dispute” had emerged between the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) and the state government regarding the land earmarked for the project, making it clear that it would not allow further bureaucratic hurdles to stall the construction.

“This court would not like to allow any kind of delay on the part of the executive authorities to delay the process of initiation of construction of judicial complex and residential houses for the judicial officers in Kalka Sub-Division, district Panchkula,” the bench had observed.