Library on green belt: Engineers’ body files plaint against MC chief for not appearing before court

The Council of Engineers (CoE) has filed a complaint against the Municipal Commissioner as well as other unidentified staff of the Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana, for deliberately not appearing in the court of law and becoming ex parte in the matter pertaining to a public park situated near Dholewal Chowk.

The council has shot a complaint to the Principal Secretary in this regard.

The case was filed by the council through its president Er Kapil Arora in October 2022 regarding the park with area measuring 350 sq yards, situated near Dholewal Chowk, on which a library building was constructed by the MC by going against the environment norms.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on October 4, 2024, directed the MC for restoration of the park within two weeks and the MC had taken the plea of shifting books from the library during the hearing held on November 5.

Now, the petitioner has come to know that one society in the name of ‘Maharana Partap Rajput Sabha’ has filed a civil suit against the MC regarding the park in October 2024 and pleaded not to get the library in the park demolished as they had been looking after the library and spent money on its books.

“The summons sent to the respondent corporation served through the clerk were received back by the Court of Civil Judge (JD), Ludhiana. However, no one from MC appeared on October 22, 2024, as well as on November 4 and the MC has been declared ex parte on November 4 and the matter has been adjourned to December 4, for remaining ex parte evidence,” Arora said.

“Despite being aware of the facts that the matter is pending before the NGT since the past over two years, the park was given for maintenance purposes to “Maharana Partap Rajput Sabha” under the Park Management Policy,” he added.

The MC chief as well as other unidentified persons have deliberately not appeared before the court through any counsel and became ex parte and it appears that the MC Commissioner and other staff of the civic body want to lose possession of the park and not appearing in the court of law by the public authority was an act of failing to perform its lawful duty in protection of public property and thus, probe into the same was need of the hour and strict action should be taken against them, said Arora in a complaint submitted to the Principal Secretary.