"Bombay High Court Urges Maharashtra Government to Expedite Land Handover for New Complex Construction"
Today, the Bombay High Court called upon the Maharashtra government to swiftly transfer possession of the designated land intended for the construction of the new High Court complex.
A division bench led by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Arif Doctor received updates from Advocate General Dr. Birendra Saraf, who disclosed that meetings of the High Power Committee (HPC), responsible for examining the matter, are set to commence imminently to address aspects concerning the new complex.
In a prior development, the Maharashtra government issued a resolution on March 30, allocating 30.16 acres of land in Bandra for the purpose of erecting the High Court's new edifice.
A memorandum was formalized with the Public Works Department (PWD) to enable this allocation, given that the land was initially designated for government housing.
Later, on May 19, the Revenue Department issued an order authorizing the transfer of 30 acres of land to facilitate the construction of the new court building.
The allocated space in Bandra East, earmarked for the forthcoming court complex, is anticipated to accommodate central tribunals and lawyers' chambers (8.9 acres), in addition to the High Court building itself (21 acres), which will also incorporate judges' quarters.
Moreover, the government plans to generate revenue from a section of the land, slated for commercial development to house lawyers' chambers.
During recent proceedings, the Advocate General informed the Court that the State requires some time to modify the land's reservation status from residential to commercial.
The Court consequently appealed to the Advocate General to relay its message to the relevant State officials, emphasizing the urgency of transferring possession of the vacant land to the High Court administration without delay.
The Chief Justice emphasized, "We are endeavoring to promptly take possession of the vacant land. We are concurrently engaging with State officers internally. I am striving to initiate both processes simultaneously. Although there seem to be structures on the land hindering possession, the State's challenges are understood. We request your officers to expedite the handover of vacant land at the earliest."
Furthermore, the bench apprised the Advocate General that the court's administration has formulated a comprehensive plan, intending to communicate its proposal to government officials outlining the requisites for the new High Court complex.
The next hearing on this matter is scheduled for October 11, 2023.
TAGS: Bombay High Court Maharashtra government land handover new High Court complex Chief Justice Justice Arif Doctor Advocate General High Power Committee (HPC) meetings construction Bandra government resolution Public Works Department (PWD) Revenue Department central tribunals lawyers' chambers judges' quarters commercial development possession vacant land urgency State officers structures Chief Justice Upadhyaya proposal hearing date October 11 2023.
