HC for inclusion of Gurgaon MC Commissioner in panel
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 11
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today expressed dissatisfaction with the nine-member committee constituted by the Cabinet Secretary for looking into the shifting of the ammunition dump at Gurgaon and Faridabad.

Directing the reconstitution of the committee, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Arun Palli made it clear that it was in favour of including Gurgaon Municipal Commissioner Praveen Kumar’s name in the committee.

As the case came up for resumed hearing, counsel for the Union of India Onkar Singh Batalvi placed before the Bench the details of the committee constituted by the Cabinet Secretary.

Batalvi told the court that the committee was to be headed by an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Defence. Two members were to be taken from the Department of Research and Development and another from the Defence Estate. Some of the other members were to be from the Department of Atomic Energy and the Union Ministry of Urban Development.

The Bench was of the view that the defence, with five members, had more than the requisite representation. The Bench also questioned the rationale behind appointing the Chairman from the Ministry of Defence and the Cabinet Secretary’s move to consult the Defence Ministry. In any case, the Bench was of the view that nine members were more than the requirement.

The Bench was also critical of appointing a Secretary-level officer from Haryana and indicated the need for having an officer well conversant with the area. Dr Praveen Kumar’s name was recommended as the Bench felt the senior IAS officer was well-versed with the ground realities and the topography of the area.

The matter had reached the High Court after a PIL was filed by Suresh Goyal of Faridabad. He was seeking the removal of constructions within a 100-metre area around the Air Force Station, Dabua, in Faridabad, as it was a protected zone under the Work of Defence Act. The High Court had also taken cognizance of a similar matter on the construction activities within the restricted 900-metre zone in Gurgaon.

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