Court on Its Own Motion Vs State of Punjab — Punjab & Haryana HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

Court on Its Own Motion Vs State of Punjab — Punjab & Haryana HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Petition disposed of for the time being with directions: (i) State of Punjab and Union Territory, Chandigarh to file monthly compliance reports, failing which the matter is to be taken up as PUD; (ii) decision on U.T. choe-road widening at Chief Engineer, PWD / Chief Architect level within one week, else coercive steps against the competent authority of the Chandigarh Administration; (iii) STP completion by February, 2026; (iv) completion of Khuda Lahora–Karoran link road widening by 30.05.2025.

Issue for consideration

Widening of the road along the choe from the point behind PGI to Karoran, falling within Union Territory, Chandigarh — status of feasibility and the decision/timeline therefor. +2 more

Court's answer

Decision on widening of the choe road (behind PGI to Karoran) in U.T., Chandigarh, at the level of Chief Engineer, PWD and Chief Architect, U.T., Chandigarh, is to be taken within one week, failing which this Court may take coercive steps against the competent authority of the Chandigarh Administration.

Ratio / Principle

Establishment of the STP, stated to be in progress, shall be completed by February, 2026, as assured by learned State counsel.

Key takeaways

Widening of the 3.048 kms link road from Khuda Lahora to Karoran (Market Committee, Kharar, District SAS Nagar, Punjab) shall be completed by 30.05.2025, per letter dated 14.05.2025 of the Executive Engineer (Civil), Punjab Mandi Board, SAS Nagar.ratio¶¶21
The Court records that bonafides have been shown by the respondent-authorities by initiating the work in question, which is the stated basis for disposing of the petition for the time being.ratio¶¶22
The petition is disposed of for the time being with a direction to the State of Punjab as well as the Union Territory, Chandigarh to file a monthly compliance report; if any report is found amiss by the Registry, the matter shall be taken up as PUD.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh (Sheel Nagu, C.J. with Sumeet Goel, J.) disposed of a Court-on-its-own-motion writ petition, CWP-1934-2010 (O&M), decided orally on 15.05.2025, concerning civic infrastructure works: (i) widening of the road along the choe from behind PGI to Karoran within U.T., Chandigarh — counsel informed that a feasibility report has been received from Punjab Engineering College (PEC), Chandigarh, and a decision at the level of Chief Engineer, PWD and Chief Architect, U.T., Chandigarh is to be taken within one week, failing which the Court may take coercive steps against the competent authority of the Chandigarh Administration; (ii) establishment of the STP, stated to be in progress, assured complete by February, 2026 by the State counsel; and (iii) widening of the 3.048 kms link road from Khuda Lahora to Karoran (Market Committee, Kharar, District SAS Nagar, Punjab), to be completed by 30.05.2025 per letter dated 14.05.2025 of the Executive Engineer (Civil), Punjab Mandi Board, SAS Nagar. Since bonafides were shown by the respondent-authorities by initiating the work, the petition was disposed of with a direction to the State of Punjab and U.T., Chandigarh to file monthly compliance reports; reports found amiss by the Registry are to be taken up as PUD.

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH

CWP-1934-2010 (O&M) Date of decision:- 15.05.2025

Court on its own motion

...Petitioner(s)

Versus

State of Punjab

...Respondent(s)

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SHEEL NAGU, CHIEF JUSTICE HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE SUMEET GOEL Present:Mr. Laxman Choudhary, Advocate, Mr. Avtar Singh, Advocate, for the petitioner. Mr. Mohinder Kumar, Advocate, for the co-petitioner.

Mr. Saurav Verma, Additional Advocate General, Punjab.

Mr. Sandeep Khunger, Advocate, Mr. Saksham Khunger, Advocate, for respondent No. 2.

Mr. Abhinav Sood, Advocate, Mr. Himanshu Arora, Advocate, Mr. Nitesh Jhajhria, Advocate, Mr. Sayyam Garg, Advocate for U.T., Chandigarh. * * * *

SHEEL NAGU, C.J. (ORAL)

The process of widening of road along the choe from the point behind PGI to Karoran, falls within the Union Territory, Chandigarh.

As regards the process of widening of this road, learned counsel for U.T., Chandigarh informs that they have received a feasibility report from the Punjab Engineering College (PEC), Chandigarh and a decision at the level of Chief Engineer, PWD and Chief Architect, U.T., Chandigarh will be taken

AMODH SHARMA 2025.05.16 10:48 I attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this order/judgement

CWP-1934-2010 (O&M)

-2-

within one week failing which this Court may take coercive steps against the competent authority of the Chandigarh Administration.

As regards the establishment of STP, which was stated to be in progress, it has been assured by learned State counsel that the same shall be completed by February, 2026.

As regards widening of the link road from Khuda Lahora to Karoran, Market Committee, Kharar, District SAS Nagar, which lies within the State of Punjab and is a stretch of 3.048 kms, learned State counsel has drawn our attention to a letter dated 14.05.2025 of the Executive Engineer (Civil), Punjab Mandi Board, SAS Nagar that the process of widening of this road shall be completed by 30.05.2025.

Since bonafides have been shown by the respondent-authorities by initiating the work in question, this Court for the time being disposes of this petition with a direction to the State of Punjab as well as the Union Territory, Chandigarh to file a monthly compliance report which if found amiss by the Registry, the matter shall be taken up as PUD.

The petition stands disposed of in the terms aforesaid.

(SHEEL NAGU) CHIEF JUSTICE

(SUMEET GOEL) JUDGE

15.05.2025

Amodh Sharma

Whether speaking/reasoned	Yes/No
Whether reportable	Yes/No

AMODH SHARMA 2025.05.16 10:48 I attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this order/judgement