Many hits, few misses for HC, UT courts

From taking a decision to remove the 'disturbed area' tag of Chandigarh to giving directions on improving the situation of the Sukhna Lake and streamlining paid parking system among other issues, the Punjab and Haryana High Court kept the officials of the UT Administration on their toes.

This year saw the removal of the 'disturbed area' tag that Chandigarh had since the days of terrorism. The High Court, on September 19, while terming the tag as a 'blot' on the city, had quashed the respective notifications dated December 2, 1986 and December 5, 1991.

Giving a blow to the eviction orders of the UT estate office, which had been passed against the Central Club after which the club was sealed on September 21, the court had directed the authorities to re-open it.

The High Court also from time to time kept giving suggestions to the authorities for reviving the Sukhna Lake. The court had suggested the UT Administration explore the possibilities by which surplus water, that UT has in winters, can be poured into the lake.

Slamming the Municipal Corporation for deciding to shut down the Night Food Street, it had directed the civic body to re-open it.

The court gave some relief to the Administration by dismissing one of the two petitions challenging the voting rights of the nominated councillors for electing mayor, senior mayor and deputy senior for the Municipal Corporation.

The court criticized the Chandigarh Administration for 'creating trouble' for city residents because of 'faulty' building bylaws. Observing that rules prepared by the Administration were 'only on paper', a division bench had remarked that the rules were nothing but a 'camouflage'.

Meanwhile the district courts witnessed many famous cases in the year 2012. However, there were two which hit the news early this year. One of the cases was of Balwant Singh Rajoana, prime accused in former Punjab CM Beant Singh, who was given an execution notice by Justice Shalini S Nagpal on June 7.

... contd.

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