UT estate officer-cum-deputy commissioner Mohammed Shayin on Friday told the Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday that a building housing the office of the central government’s department of telecommunications (DoT) in Sector 18 was demolished by the Haryana Urban Development Authority on October 9, and not by the Chandigarh administration, as HUDA owned the building.
However, not satisfied, a division bench comprising acting chief justice Ashutosh Mohunta and justice Anupinder Singh Grewal directed Shayin to file an affidavit with regard to the statement made in the court. He was also asked to file a reply to the contentions made by the central government. The case now will be heard on October 14.
Shayin, who was present in the court pursuant to its order issued on Thursday, submitted that the building, where offices of the Punjab and Haryana town & country planning departments were located, was taken over by the UT estate office on October 7 and was then handed over to HUDA after which the latter razed the building.
Appearing for the central government, assistant solicitor general of India Chetan Mittal disputed Shayin’s statement, saying the tehsildar (enforcement) of Chandigarh was present at the time the building was razed. Mittal submitted some office space should be provided to DoT.
DC assures office space for DoT
Shayin assured the court that office space would be provided to the department of telecommunications on Friday itself and whatever records and assets were found at the site would be handed over to the petitioner by Friday evening. He also told the court that no records or assets of the central government department had been destroyed, adding if any records were found lying under the debris of the demolished building, they would be retrieved and promptly handed over to the department’s officials.
{{/usCountry}}Shayin assured the court that office space would be provided to the department of telecommunications on Friday itself and whatever records and assets were found at the site would be handed over to the petitioner by Friday evening. He also told the court that no records or assets of the central government department had been destroyed, adding if any records were found lying under the debris of the demolished building, they would be retrieved and promptly handed over to the department’s officials.
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