The Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed the order of the Haryana Pollution Control Board disconnecting the water and electricity supply of the upcoming Shalimar Mall in Sector 5, Panchkula.
The Haryana Pollution Control Board had directed the company to get environmental clearance and gave the company four days time to apply for a no objection certificate (NOC).
The Board said that construction activity at the mall will be stalled and water and electricity supply will be stopped if these formalities are not fulfilled in four days.The orders were challenged by the company in the High Court which issued notices to the Board and State of Haryana and stayed the pollution board orders.
The main dispute arises out of an order passed whereby the Control Board was directed by the High Court to pass an appropriate order superceding the 2004 notification prescribing certain norms in respect of environment clearance.
As per the control board norms, the basic requirement was that the building project should have more than 20,000 sq meters of built up area. The board measurement estimated the area at 21,017 sq meters. The company maintained that there are patent mistakes in the measurement report. They contended that control board have taken into account the covered area of all three basement. The company said that the covered area of basement level-II is about one third less area than that of basement level-II and the covered area of basement level-I is less than about one tenth area of basement level-II.
This complex calculation was pointed out to the Board, and reduces the total area of building by 1992.204 sq meters. The company contended that the reworked built up area will come to 19075 sq meters, thus bringing the project under the 2006 notification and which takes the project out of the purview of notification of 2006, as per the petition.
Notices to govt, police chief over PIL
Notices were issued to Haryana government and Director General of Police (DGP) today by a Division Bench headed by the Chief Justice over a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by advocate H C Arora.
The petitioner has sought quashing of two advertisements issued by the Haryana Police on September 7 for recruitment of 495 computer operator constables (Male) and for 227 constables (operator, Males) in telecommunication wing of Haryana Police.
Accrding to the petitioner, the advertisements exclude women from consideration for appointment to these posts.
The petitioner submitted that the educational qualification for recruitment to the post of computer operator constables as well as constables (operator) in telecommunication wing of Haryana Police is a higher secondary pass out from the Board of School Education, Haryana or any other board recognised by it.
He further submitted that good working knowledge and experience of computer handling is to be judged by a test of qualifying nature and preference is to be given to the candidates having atleast one year diploma in computer franchisee approved by Hartron, Doec, NIIT.
He submitted that ratio of women constables is less than even ten percent of the total strength.
The petitioner had therefore prayed that either the females be allowed to compete for all the above said 712 posts of constables or fifty per cent of these posts be kept exclusively for women.
Phone shop asked to compensate resident
The District Consumer Forum has ordered City Portraits & Colour Lab, a mobile phone retail shop located in sector 22 to pay a compensation of Rs 5,000 and replace the mobile set of a Panchkula resident.
The complainant had reportedly been sold a defective handset. The litigation cost will also be borne by the City Portraits and Colour Lab.
The complainant Sumer Singh, had purchased a Motorola L61 handset from the City Portraits and Colour Lab in November 2006 for Rs 5,700.
The handset, however, had problems relating to voice frequency. The handset wproblemsas immediately repaired. However the problems in the handset continued, forcing Singh to demand a replacement of the handset. The notice of the complaint was served to the colour labs. The Forum upheld the complainants plea.
Rs 1.5 crore grant for Bar Association
Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal announced a cheque of Rs 1.5 crore to the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association today.
Acting President of the High Court Bar
Association Gurinder Singh Attariwala, received the cheque from the Chief Justice V K Jain in the presence of Justice J S Khehar; Justice Mehtab Singh Gill and Justice M M Kumar; Punjab Advocate General, H S Mattewal.
The Bar strongly appreciated and thanked the Chief Minister for the financial assistance provided to the Bar.
Honorary Secretary of the Bar Onkar Singh Batalvi, thanked the Chief Justice for his concern towards the association and always coming forward for the needs and development of it.
While the acting President, Gurinder Singh Attariwala recorded deep appreciation towards the untiring efforts of Punjab Advocate General with whose initiative such financial assistance was made possible.
Advocate R P Bali passes away
Senior Punjab and Haryana High Court lawyer R P Bali passed away today after a prolonged illness. He was 70. He is survived by one son and a daughter. His cremation will take place tomorrow.
According to family sources, Bali was admitted to a private hospital in Mohali for the past over one month for treatment where he breathed his last today.
Punjab and Haryana HC Bar Association and the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana condoled his death.