Centre ticked off by HC for delaying land allotment to court

Hearing a petition filed by the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) for allotment of additional land to the court to tide over the space crunch, a bench of justices Pradeep Nandrajog and Sunil Gaur refused to grant more time to the Centre, saying it was delaying the matter on pretext of "seeking instructions" on the issue.

"There is too much of seeking instruction. The matter has been lingering for more than three years and despite various orders from this court since 2007, no notification was issued by the ministry," the bench said directing the Ministry of Urban Development (MUD) to issue a notification after changing the land use criteria by Wednesday.Appearing for the lawyers' body, senior counsel A S Chandhioke submitted that following the high court’s 2007 order, the Ministry of Urban Development had allotted 2.74 acre land to the court for its use in 2008 but no notification changing the use of land from residential purpose to institutional use has been issued.

He said the land was meant to be used for residential purpose originally, but after its allotment to the high court, the ministry was required to allow its use for institutional purposes.

He also pleaded to the court to ask ministry to act promptly in changing the usage criteria of the land and direct the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to make their stand clear as the land is near the historic Old Fort.

To his submission, the bench issued notice to the ASI and sought its response by next date of hearing. The bench fixed September 14 for further hearing of the matter