High Court permits canteen construction in Cubbon Park

 
The Advocates Association had filed an Interlocutory Application for the High Court to give permission for the construction of a canteen and the Court had asked Chairman of the High Court Building Committee, Justice V Gopala Gowda, President of Advocates’ Association K N Puttegowda, Registrar General R B Budihal, Advocate General Ashok Harnahalli and senior counsel Nanjunda Reddy to inspect the place and submit a report.

The report was filed in the court on Monday, which stated that a permanent structure would cost Rs 60-70 lakh.

The division bench consisting of Chief Justice P D Dinakaran and Justice V S Sabhahit said that the report had been accepted by the State government and the government had proposed to put up a permanent full-fledged modern canteen at a minimum cost of Rs 75 lakh for the benefit of members of the Court, litigant public, staff and the press.

Appreciating this, the Chief Justice said, “In view of the matter, we do not see any impediment in granting permission for the proposed canteenm which shall be started and completed within the time schedule.”

He also said that a technical expert had to oversee the construction to avoid cutting of trees as much as possible and to maintain an eco-friendly atmosphere.

Relief to CLA

Providing partial relief to the Christian Legal Association (CLA), the High Court on Monday ruled that the school libraries can acquire a book on the life of Jesus Christ, if they wished. 

In 2006, the Government had refused to accord permission to the CLA to distribute these books to all the Government school libraries.

Later that year, on a PIL by the CLA, the High Court ordered the Government to consider the representation in two months time.

The CLA had offered to supply these books free of charge if the Government gave permission. The Government, in its response, stated that if it gave permission, then other religious organisations might also ask for permission to distribute books. Questioning this, the CLA filed another PIL.

The division bench consisting of Justice P D Dinakaran and Justice V S Sabhahit said that they could not order the Government to give permission to distribute the books. But if the libraries came forward to take these books, then the Government could not stop them from doing so.