Cannabis Plants Freely Growing In Towns: Punjab & Haryana High Court Asks State Whether There Is Any Permanent Solution For The Problem

The Punjab & Haryana High Court has asked the Governments of Punjab, Haryana and UT Chandigarh to file a status report of the experts on whether there is any “permanent solution” to the problem of growing wild cannabis in the towns.

Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Anil Kshetarpal were hearing suo moto cognizance taken on the issue of growing Cannabis plants indiscriminately all over the towns.

The Court noted that “Status report by way of affidavit of Executive Engineer, Horticulture, Division No.1, Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh has been filed stating that efforts have been taken to cut/uproot/destroy the Cannabis plants which are growing in discriminately all over the towns in the States of Punjab and Haryana as well as Union Territory, Chandigarh.”

While listing the matter for October 15, directed the counsel for the respondents (Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh) “to file status reports of the experts in the field as to whether there is any permanent solution to the said problem or not.”

Earlier, the division bench of Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and Justice Sandeep Moudgil had rapped Chandigarh Administration and Municipal Council for their lackadaisical approach to clearing the wild growth of Cannabis in the city.

"This Court is amazed at such response wherein a casual affidavit has been filed (Municipal Corp.) Such an issue needs to be addressed with all seriousness and a special team of staff including the labour must be deployed to ensure that no such wild growth of cannabis plant ever grows again but it does not seem to be the intention of Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh,” the Court had then observed.

Title: Court on its own motion Vs. State of Punjab and others

Mr. Anurag Chopra, Addl. Advocate General, Punjab. Mr. Deepak Balyan, Addl. Advocate General, Haryana. Mr. Sanjiv Ghai, Advocate with Mr. Parminder S.Kaul, Advocate, for respondent- M.C. Chandigarh.

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