Punjab and Haryana High Court (File Photo)
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday came down hard on a Mohali Muncipal Councilor for filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to seek directions for completion of a developmental project instead of raising the issue first in the house of the Muncipal Corporation or directly approaching the authorities. “You are a Muncipal Councilor. You are raising the issue in High Court. Why are you not raising it in the house. If you have to file a PIL, anybody can file it. This is the problem that you are not looking for public interest but publicity,” a division bench of the High Court observed.
A Muncipal Councilor from Mohali in May had moved the High Court seeking directions for the completion of the project of fetching, treating and supplying 40 MGD Water from 5th and 6th Phase of Kajouli Water Works to Mohali in accordance with the decisions taken by Punjab government and Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA). The High Court had earlier asked the councilor to show what steps he had taken as the councilor to raise the issue in the house.
“Considering the fact that the petitioner is a Municipal Councilor, he is liable to show that the matter had been agitated by him in the house and also taken up with the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority… and Government of Punjab, Department of Housing and Urban Development,” the Court had observed The HC bench on Wednesday observed that the Councilor should first raise the issue in the house or write to the GMADA instead of directly approaching the High Court.
