NAGPUR: Dismissing Archeological Survey of India’s (ASI) contention that entire area of ‘old HC building’ is a ‘monumental structure’, the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on Monday directed state PWD to demolish canteen and servants quarters on the premises within 48 hours to create parking space. The government was told to furnish compliance report by Wednesday.
The court’s directives came while hearing a PIL (No 67/2015) by petitioner Manoj Sable through counsel Shreerang Bhandarkar, praying for directives to the PWD for construction of additional infrastructure like courts and bar rooms at ‘Suyog’ building premises for convenience of lawyers and litigants.
Earlier, assistant solicitor general
Ulhas Aurangabadkar contended that entire
old HC building area spread on about 18,200 square metres is declared as monumental structure and can’t be demolished.
“We find that contention is without any substance. It is only an old HC building, which can be considered as either monumental or heritage structure. If ASI contention is to be accepted, the servants quarters would also be considered as monumental or heritage structure,” a division bench comprising justices
Bhushan Gavai and
Murlidhar Giratkar stated.
The judges asked additional government pleader
Deepak Thakre to communicate the order to various authorities for compliance.
Sudhir Puranik, who appeared for the
Nagpur Municipal Corporation, one of the respondents in the case.
