Infrastructure Of District Courts In Punjab & Haryana Not Disabled Friendly, High Court Asks Building Committees To Take Action

From an affidavit filed by the governments of Punjab and Haryana, the High Court has found that the infrastructure in district courts and sub-district courts in the states are not disabled friendly.

Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Alok Jain observed that, "The charts filed by the State of Punjab as well as State of Haryana reveal that there are several deficiencies in the basic infrastructural requirements to make the District Courts and Sub Divisional Courts in both the States disabled friendly."

The Court directed to put the information by both the States, with a tabular illustration, before the respective Building Committees, “which shall take appropriate steps for eliminating the said deficiencies.”

The development came after the High Court took suo moto cognizance of the lack of infrastructure in judicial complexes which may be inaccessible to persons with disabilities in Punjab, Haryana and U.T. Chandigarh.

During the hearing, the counsel appearing for the High Court submitted that responsibility of assessment and evaluation of accessibility of infrastructure and facility for persons with disabilities rests with the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Government of India, which ought to be made a party.

Accordingly, the Court ordered the Government of India, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), to be impleaded as respondent.

The Court directed the ASG Satya Pal Jain to seek instructions on behalf of the Union.

The matter is listed on December 16, for further consideration.

Mohd. Jameel, Advocate (amicus curiae).

Ms. Tanu Bedi, Advocate, Mr. Sumit Kumar, Advocate, and Mr. Sandeep Kang, Advocate, for respondent No.1.

Mr. Salil Sabhlok, Senior DAG, Punjab.

Mr. Deepak Balyan, Addl. Advocate General, Haryana.

Mr. Abhinav Sood, Addl. Standing Counsel, UT Chandigarh.

Title: Court on its own motion v. High Court of Punjab and Haryana, Chandigarh and others

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