Expansion of Tis Hazari Court: HC Expresses Displeasure with DDA and Delhi Govt

The Delhi High Court expressed its dissatisfaction with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Delhi government for failing to allocate land for the redevelopment and expansion of the Tis Hazari court complex.

A bench comprised of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula was hearing an application filed by the High Court itself, seeking directives for the authorities to promptly assign the necessary land for the court complex’s expansion.

“It is regrettable that the land-owning agency is not allotting land for the construction of court complexes,” the bench noted.

The High Court submitted this application in November 2021 within an ongoing public interest litigation (PIL) initiated by advocate RK Kapoor. The PIL seeks instructions for establishing the required infrastructure for court complexes.

The application underscored the fact that despite the Supreme Court’s directions dating back to 1997, there has been minimal progress in transferring land possession.

During the hearing, the division bench directed the DDA and the Delhi government to submit their responses within a week. The case has been scheduled for further consideration on September 13.

The High Court’s application emphasized the urgent necessity of land for courtroom construction. The redevelopment schemes for Tis Hazari have received approval, yet execution has been impeded by the absence of administrative sanction and expenditure approval for the preliminary estimate put forth by the Public Works Department (PWD).

The Court was informed that the cramped space at Tis Hazari has resulted in exceedingly poor working conditions. As a consequence, legal professionals, stamp vendors, and oath commissioners are compelled to operate in open spaces.

The bench contended in its application that it is the responsibility of both the Delhi government and the Central government to expedite the availability of land.