High court expansion: Centre calls meeting with Punjab, Haryana to discuss ₹1,454 crore plan

According to the proposal, four new blocks with 30-35 more courtrooms on a 11.42 lakh square-feet area behind the heritage building designed by Le Corbusier are to be part of extension area

The Centre has called a meeting of the chief secretaries of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh on November 16 to discuss the high court expansion plan, estimated at ₹1,454 crore.

There are 10,000 lawyers and over 3,300 court employees, which translates into as many vehicles coming to the complex daily. (HT File)

Additional Solicitor General Satya Pal Jain on Friday told the high court that the Chandigarh administration’s proposal has been received by the Ministry of home affairs – the nodal department in the case of UTs – and a meeting will be chaired with the chief secretaries of the two states and UT to discuss the proposal and grant sanction and financial approval. The officers of the Ministry of expenditure and Ministry of law and justice will also attend the meeting, Jain informed the court during the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL), highlighting the infrastructural blues at the complex.

What’s coming up

According to the proposal, four new blocks with 30-35 more courtrooms on a 11.42 lakh square-feet area behind the heritage building designed by Le Corbusier, and an additional parking capacity of 11.17 lakh square feet at the Capitol Complex are to be part of the extension area.

The advocate general (AG) offices of Punjab and Haryana, judicial record room, and old lawyers chambers among others, built on a 2.07 lakh square ft area are to be demolished and merged into the extension blocks.

The parking will have three floors below the new complex. Only three floors, including the ground floor, can be constructed over the ground as the skyline of the heritage building has to be protected. With this, the total parking capacity would go up to 22 lakh square ft, according to the plan.

Will need UNESCO nod

Even if cleared by the Centre, the project will need clearance from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as the high court, opened in 1955, is part of the Capitol Complex, which was declared a world heritage site in 2016.

The holistic plan, initiated in 2013, had to be shelved due to the UNESCO status. The international body also rejected an underground parking project at the site in 2023. Now, the modified plan has been sent to it for clearance, and is likely to be taken up later this month.

Space crunch at court

There are 10,000 lawyers and over 3,300 court employees, which translates into as many vehicles coming to the complex daily, in addition to the litigants. The court has a sanctioned strength of 85 judges – but at present, it has only 64 judges and 69 courtrooms. If all the sanctioned posts are filled, the administration would struggle to get courtrooms for all. In the future, the strength is to go up. Moreover, the complex is seeing massive traffic jams on a daily basis during peak hours.

In 2024-25, the administration also toyed with the idea of shifting the high court to a new complex in Sarangpur on the outskirts of Chandigarh and a site at IT Park near Panchkula was also explored. The idea, however, saw massive opposition from the lawyers and had to be shelved.

While deferring hearing for November 20, the court said “We hope and trust that the competent authority shall accord due consideration to the proposal, keeping in view the urgent needs of the court.”