Csj Infrastructure Private Limited Vs Union Territory of Chandigarh and Ors. — Punjab & Haryana HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

Csj Infrastructure Private Limited Vs Union Territory of Chandigarh and Ors. — Punjab & Haryana HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Petition dismissed as withdrawn; Chief Secretary, U.T., Chandigarh directed to issue and circulate guidelines to all statutory appellate/revisional authorities in U.T., Chandigarh within 02 months; put up for compliance on 07.11.2025, on which date the final order passed in the petitioner's appeal shall also be produced.

Issue for consideration

Whether guidelines should be issued to statutory appellate/revisional authorities in U.T., Chandigarh to prevent inordinate delays in future disposal of statutory appeals/revisions.

Court's answer

The inordinate delay of over 10 years in disposal of the petitioner's statutory appeal is not appreciated by the Court.

Ratio / Principle

The Chief Secretary, Union Territory, Chandigarh is directed to issue and circulate appropriate guidelines to all statutory appellate/revisional authorities in U.T., Chandigarh to ensure that in future such inordinate delays do not occur in disposal of statutory appeals/revisions; the needful to be done within 02 months from the date of receipt of a copy of the order.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

CWP-15642-2025 (O&M), High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh (oral judgment by Deepak Sibal, J.; Lapita Banerji, J. concurring signature), decided 16.07.2025 — CSJ Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. v. Union Territory of Chandigarh and others. The petitioner had challenged a property tax demand made through a bill dated 01.04.2014 and its statutory appeal under Section 146/147 of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, as extended to U.T., Chandigarh, was finally heard by the appellate authority only in July 2025 — after an inordinate delay of over 10 years — with order reserved for pronouncement, as disclosed by an affidavit dated 12.07.2025 of the Chief Secretary, U.T., Chandigarh, which was taken on record. Learned counsel for the petitioner thereupon sought withdrawal and the petition was dismissed as withdrawn. The Court deprecated the decade-long delay ('Least to say, such delay is not appreciated') and, to prevent recurrence of such situations, directed the Chief Secretary, U.T., Chandigarh to issue and circulate appropriate guidelines to all statutory appellate/revisional authorities in U.T., Chandigarh so that in future such inordinate delays do not occur in disposal of statutory appeals/revisions, the needful to be done within 02 months of receipt of a copy of the order. Compliance was put up for 07.11.2025, on which date the final order passed in the petitioner's appeal is also to be produced.

CWP-15642-2025 (O&M)

Sr. No.337 IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH CWP-15642-2025 (O&M) Date of Decision : 16.07.2025

CSJ Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd.

…Petitioner

Versus

Union Territo r y of Chandigarh and others …Respondents

CORAM : HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE DEEPAK SIBAL HON’BLE MS. JUSTICE LAPITA BANERJI Present : M r. Anil Mehta, Advocate and M r. Prashant Kapila, Advocate, f o r the petitioner.

M r. Amit Jhanji, Senior Advocat e with M s. Eliza Gupta, Advocate, M r. Ajay Jagga, Additional Stan d ing Counsel, M s. Sonia Mittal, Advocate, f o r respondent No.1-UT, Chandi g arh. M s. Urvashi Dhugga, Additional Standing Counsel, f o r respondents No.2 and 3-MC, C handigarh. ( t hrough video conferencing)

DEEPAK SIBAL, J. (Oral)

A ffidavit dated 12.07.2025, of the Chief Secretary, Union Territory, Ch a ndigarh filed in Court today, i s ordered to be taken on the record.

A s per the afore affidavit, the pe t itioner’s appeal, filed against the demand o f property tax raised through bi l l dated 01.04.2014, has been finally heard b y the appellate authority and order has been reserved for

pronounceme n t.

I n the light of the above, learn e d counsel for the petitioner

seeks to withd r aw this petition.

D ismissed as withdrawn.

W e find from the record that in this case the petitioner’s statutory appe a l, filed by it under Section 14 6 /147 of the Punjab Municipal

VANDANA 2025.09.05 15:52 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document

Page 1 of 2

CWP-15642-2025 (O&M)

Corporation A ct, 1976, as extended to Uni o n Territory, Chandigarh, to challenge the r ein the demand of property t a x made through a bill dated 01.04.2014, w as finally heard in July 2025 i. e . after an inordinate delay of over 10 years.

Least to say, such delay is not ap p reciated.

To prevent a situation, as abov e , the Chief Secretary, Union Territory, C h andigarh is directed to issu e and circulate appropriate guidelines t o all statutory appellate/revi s ional authorities in U.T., Chandigarh t o ensure that in future such ino r dinate delays do not occur in disposal of s t atutory appeals/ revisions. Th e needful be done within 02 months from t h e date of receipt of a copy of t h is order. 8. P u t up for compliance on 07.11.2025 on which date the final order passed i n the petitioner’s appeal in this c ase shall also be produced.

(DEEPAK SIBAL) JUDGE

(LAPITA BANERJI) JUDGE

July 16, 2025 vandana

Whether spea k ing/reasoned : Yes/No Whether repo r table : Yes/No

VANDANA 2025.09.05 15:52 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document

Page 2 of 2