07 June 2024 Punjab Khabarnama : The directions were issued by a division Bench of Acting Chief Justice G S Sandhawalia and Justice Lapita Banerji, which has been hearing a plea from Vinod Dhatterwal, secretary, Punjab and Haryana High Court Employees Association, seeking implementation of the plan, which envisaged setting up of multi-storey buildings to cater to the requirement of additional space.
On previous hearing, the team of IIT Roorkee was asked to submit report regarding the aspect of the construction over the lawyers chambers and the heritage impact assessment (HIA) of the proposed additional construction, which is to be raised within the complex of this court. The Department of Architecture and Planning, IIT Roorkee, had thus told the HC that on May 18 and 19, 2024, a survey would be carried out through the drone (UAV).
As the matter came up for hearing, an affidavit was filed by Department of Architecture and Planning and Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Roorkee, submitting that the clearance to fly drones in the site due to red zone implications is stated to have not been received and an application, dated May 25, 2024, has been submitted to the Skill Development and Information Technology Section, Ministry of Civil Aviation, New Delhi. The delay in obtaining the required clearance for the drone survey could increase the duration of the project.
On this, the Senior Superintendent of Police (Security and Traffic), Chandigarh, expressed her apprehensions and contended for obtaining requisite permission by login through the “Digital Sky Platform” of the Ministry of Civil Aviation on account of the fact that premises as such are in the red zone.
The HC was also informed that the red zone category is due to the flying zone area of Rajendra Park being used by the respective Chief Ministers and, therefore, for the dates as such which are to be slated, as proposed, there should be “No Flying Zone”.
The Bench directed Senior Superintendent of Police, Chandigarh, “to issue necessary instructions to all concerned, so that necessary permission is granted and during those two days, the area would remain out of bounds for all low flying crafts in the nature of helicopters”.
“We also direct the Ministry of the Union of India as such, as noticed above, to grant necessary permission for June 8, 2024 and June 9, 2024, within a period of one week, so that steps can be taken to do the proposed mapping,” ordered the Bench, adjourning the matter for July 23.