Choose PMC to build housing for judicial officers in Dwarka: Delhi HC to govt

The court said that many officers living in NCR far away from their workplace due to paucity of housing in Delhi

The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the Delhi government to complete the selection process of the project management consultant (PMC) for the construction of a residential complex for judicial officers in Dwarka within two months of issuing the tender.

A bench comprising chief justice DK Upadhyay and justice Tushar Rao Gedela issued the direction after reviewing a status report from the Delhi government. (HT Archive)

A bench comprising chief justice DK Upadhyay and justice Tushar Rao Gedela issued the direction after reviewing a status report from the Delhi government.

The report said that the law department had assigned the Inter-Departmental Monitoring Committee (IDMC) to recommend steps for appointing a Project Management Consultant (PMC), and that IDMC would take a final decision on issuing the tender for selecting the PMC during its meeting scheduled for July 28.

“We direct that the tender process for the selection of the PMC shall be completed within four weeks from the date of issuing tenders, if it is permissible under rules, or within the minimum possible time as may be available under the rules. In any case, the process for tender for selection of PMC shall be completed within two months from the date the tender is issued,” the court said in its order.

The directions were issued in a plea filed by Judicial Service Association of Delhi, seeking provision of adequate government accommodation for judicial officers in Delhi, asserting that the paucity of homes had forced the officers to reside in the National Capital Region (NCR), far away from their workplace. The plea said that homes for only 348 officers were available for allotment against the sanctioned strength of 900.

On Tuesday, the high court had expressed displeasure over the Delhi government’s failure to take concrete steps in compliance with its May 23 directive to complete the construction of housing projects for judicial officers in Dwarka Sector 19 within two years.

The court had raised concerns after reviewing the Delhi government’s status report which revealed that the law department had constituted an inter departmental monitoring committee– including officials from Finance, Law, Public Works Department (PWD) along with the high court earlier in July to provide suggestions for appointing a PMC.

However, the petitioner’s lawyer said that the committee cited in the report was originally formed to oversee ongoing projects at Shastri Park, Karkardooma and Rohini and was not confined to giving suggestions for appointment of project management consultant. Nigam said that monitoring the construction in Dwarka was not included within the committee’s scope.