Punjab and Haryana High Court bars Bar association from collecting parking fee
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has barred its Bar association from collecting parking fee from visitors on the court premises.
“No parking fee can be charged on the premises of the High Court without the permission of the UT-Chandigarh Administration and the High Court,” asserted the Division Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Anil Kshetarpal.
The Bench was hearing a petition filed by Prithvi Raj Yadav against the Punjab and Haryana High Court and other respondents. Appearing in person before the Bench, he contended that parking fee was being charged by the Bar Association of Punjab and Haryana from “advocates, government officials, litigants as well as from the employees of the High Court for parking their vehicles on the court premises”.
The Bench observed that a receipt of Rs 50 parking fee was submitted, which did not indicate the name of the person making or receiving the payment. The Judges added that the court had received similar complaints on the administrative side.
The Bench said, “This court issues a writ of prohibition that henceforth no parking fee shall be charged from any litigant, employee, government official, advocate, etc, visiting the High Court.”
“Any violation of the order shall be treated as contempt of court. The Registrar-General of the court is directed to communicate the order to the president of the Bar Association of Punjab and Haryana, advocates-general of both Punjab and Haryana as well as to the president of the Employees Association of Punjab and Haryana,” the Bench asserted.
