Punjab and Haryana High Court takes suo motu cognizance of electricity crisis in Chandigarh

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 22

Taking suo motu cognizance of the electricity crisis in Chandigarh, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday observed disruption of power supply could cause irrevocable damage before directing the UT Chief Engineer to appear tomorrow “to apprise the Court about the measures being taken to alleviate this crisis”.

The Bench of Justice Ajay Tewari and Justice Pankaj Jain asserted it had been brought to the Court’s notice that power supply to large parts of Chandigarh had been disrupted. In the circumstances, it was constrained to take up the matter on the judicial side and had consequently requested the UT senior standing counsel Anil Mehta to apprise the Court of the arrangements the Administration was making to prevent undue hardship to the residents.

Mehta, in turn, apprised the Court that power failure was “on account of acts of sabotage by the striking employees”. He further informed the Bench that a request was made by the UT Administration to get officials from the States of Punjab and Haryana to tide over this crisis. The latest information he received was that the State of Punjab had expressed its inability to send any person on deputation.

The Bench observed Mehta was not yet aware of the State of Haryana’s response. The Court could not be oblivious of the fact that disruption in electricity supply was not only affecting the ordinary residents, but may affect institutions such as the hospitals where patients may be on ventilators and other life support systems.

“Apart from that, there are online examinations and classes which students are taking. In many cases, virtual hearing has been disrupted in this Court also because lawyers are not able to appear due to the fact that there is no electricity in their offices. In such situations, the disruption in electricity supply can cause irrevocable damage.

“Resultantly, we deem it appropriate to request Chief Engineer, UT Chandigarh, to appear before this Court tomorrow — February 23 — to apprise the Court about the measures being taken to alleviate this crisis. The matter may be placed before the Chief Justice today so that His Lordship can mark it to the appropriate bench for tomorrow,” the Bench concluded.