Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 6

Nearly a month after the state of Punjab undertook not to go ahead with “any further construction activity” after a petition alleged carrying out of unsanctioned public works, constructions and uprooting of “hundreds-year-old trees” in Sangrur, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has made it clear that trees would not be felled.

The direction came as the Bench of Chief Justice Ravi Shanker Jha and Justice Arun Palli made it clear that the authorities would be at liberty to carry out the works of laying the roads. But “neither any other construction activity shall be carried out, nor any trees shall be felled”.

Appearing before the Bench, Punjab Assistant Advocate-General submitted on instructions that the authorities may, at least, be permitted to construct the roads in the larger public interest. He further undertook that the authorities would not cut any trees.

“The statement of the Assistant Advocate-General, Punjab, is taken on record. Accordingly, the orders dated September 27 and October 5 passed by this court are modified…,” the Bench asserted. The case will now come up for hearing on November 15.

The HC on the previous hearing had ordered interim order’s continuation on the basis of the state counsel’s statement the state would not to go ahead with “any further construction activity”.

The matter was brought to the HC’s notice after Jasinder Sekhon and other petitioners filed the petition. Senior advocate RS Bains had contended on their behalf that the “expenditure is wasteful to the extent that when the civil hospital and the schools are crying for attention, the public funds were being used for beautification purpose.”