Chandigarh heritage panel okays construction of verandah at HC
According to the proposal presented to the committee, the Chandigarh Master Plan originally included a provision for constructing a verandah in front of Court Number 1, but it was never built
The Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee (CHCC) on Thursday approved the construction of a verandah in front of Court Number 1 of the Punjab and Haryana high court, which houses the chief justice’s court. Currently, verandahs exist only in front of Court numbers 2 and 9.
The meeting was chaired by UT adviser Rajeev Verma. According to the proposal presented to the committee, the Chandigarh Master Plan originally included a provision for constructing a verandah in front of Court Number 1, but it was never built. The verandahs in front of Court numbers 2 and 9 were constructed alongside the original high court building. This is the first time that such a construction has been allowed.
Committee members said there was a demand from the high court authorities that due to the lack of a shelter, people face significant problems, especially during the rainy season.
A senior committee officer said before construction began, the original archive drawings will be reviewed. The committee has also approved the construction of barrier-free washrooms in the court complex, making these facilities accessible to people with disabilities.
The high court building is part of the Capitol Complex, which was designated a World Heritage Site in 2016. The complex, spread over more than 100 acres in Sector 1, is a prime example of Chandigarh’s architecture designed by French architect Le Corbusier. With Shivalik Hills in the backdrop, the site exudes a serene and grand atmosphere. The buildings within the complex include the Open Hand Monument, Tower of Shadows, Geometric Hill, the Legislative Assembly and Secretariat, apart from the high court.
In a hearing on September 8 regarding a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the Vinod Dhaterwal Association, which demanded infrastructure development for the court complex due to increasing traffic congestion and space constraints, the UT administration had informed the court that its complex’s holistic development plan had not been stalled by the heritage panel.
The CHCC had already approved the court complex’s holistic development plan in its meeting in November 2019. However, during the World Heritage Committee Convention in Riyadh, the project was suspended, the UT adviser had stated in an affidavit.
Verma had added that a fresh heritage impact assessment for the court complex was being conducted by IIT Roorkee. Once the study was completed and the report is submitted, actions will be taken on priority, he said.
In response to high court’s questions about UT administration constructing a seven-storey secretariat in Sector 9, a designated heritage sector, Verma had clarified that the plan to develop the secretariat was conceptualised in 2005, much before the CHCC was established.
UT administration has now offered 15 acres in Sarangpur for high court’s expansion. However, lawyers and court employees have been demanding that additional space should be provided at the current site.