Reopen road in front of CM’s residence: High Court

Tribune News Service

Saurabh Malik

Chandigarh, April 26

Decades after it was closed, the road in front of Punjab Chief Minister’s residence will be thrown open to traffic from May 1. Making it clear that the reason for closing the road was apparently based on a “figment of imagination of the authorities”, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has mandated its reopening initially for 12 hours daily on all working days from 7 am to ease traffic situation.

“Various threat perceptions have been mentioned, which we do not want to elaborate and we all feel that the inputs as such regarding the threat of drones and the rocket-propelled grenade (RPGs) being used would go on to show that the opinion is based on a closed mind-set of the authorities, who are insensitive to the general public’s convenience,” the Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Lapita Banerji asserted.

The Bench added the State of Haryana had quoted instances where the elderly, the handicapped and widows had come to present their grievances outside the Chief Minister’s residence in an attempt to highlight the threat perception. As such, people approaching their elected representatives to air their grievances had also considered a threat perception.

Referring to the manner in which the authorities wanted to proceed, the Bench asserted a proposal had been made to close the road in front of the Haryana Chief Minister’s residence as well. “Lord Acton’s quote that `power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely’ would aptly apply to the police authorities, who apparently are unaware of the said observation while seeking to pay lip-service to the persons concerned while blocking access to the lawyers and general public who reside in Nayagaon to approach the High Court by the shortest route,” the Bench added.

Before parting with the order, the Bench asserted UT Director-General of Police/Senior Superintendent of Police would formulate a traffic management plan on easing the traffic congestion by opening the road on an experimental basis from May 1. The officer concerned could give suggestions. It was for the traffic experts to formulate a traffic plan.

Taking a suo motu or court-on-its-own motion case on Chandigarh’s infrastructure development and comprehensive traffic solutions, the Bench had on a previous date of hearing observed that the road was closed during the time of terrorism in the 1980s and things had undergone a sea change since then. The road remained closed in spite of the fact that there was a 100-foot green belt between the road and the Chief Minister’s residence in addition to a slow-carriageway.

What court observed

On a previous date of hearing, the High Court Bench had observed that the road was closed during the time of terrorism in the 1980s and things had undergone a sea change since then. The road remained closed in spite of the fact that there was a 100-foot green belt between the road and the CM’s residence in addition to a slow-carriageway

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