To overcome space shortage following Government’s plan to raise strength of judges to meet increased workload, the Delhi High Court has proposed setting up of a new building on 2.74 acre land at Bapa Nagar in the national Capital.
The proposal moved by the court’s Building Maintenance and Construction Committee said that the office of the Chief Engineer PWD maintenance Zone M-4 has submitted a preliminary estimate of `172 crore for administrative approval and expenditure sanction of the competent authority for the project. later, the PWD clarified that the total amount estimated for the project be treated as `166.34 crore only.
A source said that the proposal was referred to the Delhi Government’s Finance and Planning Department, which after detailed discussions decided that in wake of the paucity of funds, the Central Government should be approached for the project. A request to this effect was made by the Delhi Government to the Union law Ministry in January itself.
The Union law Ministry reportedly informed the city administration that the currently modified Centrally-Sponsored Scheme for Development of Infrastructure for subordinate judiciary covered construction of the court buildings of district and subordinate courts and residential quarters for judicial officers of district and subordinate courts only as planning commission had approved the funding of proposals for construction of new high court buildings with additional Central assistance in the Centre/ State funding ration of 30:70.
Following the reply from the Centre, the city administration re-submitted the proposal to the Finance Department for its views so that it could submit a Cabinet note for consideration and approval of sanction of 70 per cent of the total project cost.
In his note, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia observed: “The request of the High Court for construction of new building needs to be accommodated. Due to huge revenue shortfall in the year 2014-15, the department is requested to explore funding from the Central Government of India under CSS.”
In wake of the Deputy Chief Minister’s observations, a fresh request was placed before the Finance Department to consider and approve in principle the 70 per cent funding for the proposed construction of new building block for the High Court. After series of communications exchanged between different departments, the planning department has finally agreed in principle about the proposal with the advice, inter alia, to get 30 per cent from the Centre.
The planning department said the proposed construction work may be incorporated as a sub-component of the existing plan scheme as it was within the jurisdiction of the existing High Court building. It said that the law Department should take a firm assurance from the Centre for providing its share of funds of 30 per cent of the total cost and for making necessary provision in the Central Budget. It also observed that the law Department should get the project approved from the cabinet as its cost exceeded `100 crore.