HC puts UT Admn on notice

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 16

The holding of marriages at Rock Garden today came under the judicial scanner with the Punjab and Haryana High Court issuing a notice of motion to the Chandigarh Administration and other respondents.

Taking up the matter, the Bench of Chief Justice Krishna Murari and Justice Arun Palli also fixed April 4 as the next date of hearing in the case. In a petition filed before the High Court, city resident Ram Kumar Garg has sought directions for restraining the Chandigarh Administration and other respondents from permitting marriage functions at Phase III of Rock Garden.

His counsel HC Arora contended that the Capitol Complex, including Rock Garden in Sector 1, had been declared a silence zone vide a notification dated January 19, 2005. “By throwing open Phase III of Rock Garden to marriage functions, the respondent-Administration has totally ignored the fact that a large number of tourists, including those from abroad, are prevented from visiting the portion during their visit to Rock Garden and, therefore, go back disappointed.

He added that the respondent-Administration had earlier banned the organisation of wedding parties in Rock Garden, but after 17 months only reversed the order without giving any reasons, unmindful of the fact that Rock Garden was in a silence zone.

Arora asserted that it could not be ignored that Chandigarh was one of the richest Union Territories of India, with a huge amount of funds at its disposal, which at times remained unspent. As per an estimate, the Union Territory daily collects around Rs 1.5 lakh from visitors by selling tickets.