The Delhi High Court harshly criticized the Delhi Government and DDA for delaying official residences for district judges. The court warned of serious action if orders continue to be ignored.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court strongly criticized the Delhi Government and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Thursday for not taking proper action to provide government residences to district-level judicial officers. The court expressed deep disappointment and warned that the authorities should not “test the court’s patience.”
The bench, led by Chief Justice D. K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, was visibly upset with the slow pace of the process. The court pointed out that it had earlier made a clear request to the DDA through a judicial order, but the request was being ignored.
“A request was made to the DDA by the court in a judicial order. Our request has fallen on deaf ears.”
The judges also showed frustration by saying that the court was being forced to repeatedly request the authorities, which they found extremely disappointing.
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“We expect from the government officials to realise the needs of judicial officers of having decent living conditions and view the same with expected sensitivity. We have to virtually beg. The court has recorded its request in one of its orders… Don’t push us to the wall. Ensure otherwise these sweet sounding words will not help.”
They further added that the court is getting closer to calling government officers to appear in person, as the continuous delay has tested their patience.
“We are only short of summoning the officers now and every department is testing our patience and that distance is just a few millimetre. It is for both the Central government and the state government. Apprise all the departments and officers about this. They should not test the court’s patience like this.”
The issue came up during the hearing of petitions filed by the Judicial Service Association, which demanded that the construction and allocation of government flats for members of the Delhi Judicial Services and Delhi Higher Judicial Services be done on priority. The reason for filing the petition was the serious shortage of government accommodation for these officers.
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Earlier, the DDA had told the court that it had allotted land at CBD Ground in Shahdara for building residential flats. However, no official letter confirming this allotment was issued, which caused a delay in releasing the funds required for the construction. The Delhi Government stated that they could not make decisions about funding without a formal allotment letter.
The DDA’s lawyer informed the court that a proper allotment letter would be given within two weeks, and that both the court and the Delhi Government would be informed about it. In response, the court said that once the letter is issued, the funds can be released.
The petitioners also highlighted that there were two more possible land locations in Delhi – Rohini and Anand Vihar – where flats could be built. DDA said it was still reviewing the matter.
“We expect that consideration to the said proposal will be made by the authorities of DDA.”
The court was concerned whether government officers were even reading judicial orders. It asked the authorities to take into account the previous directions given by the Supreme Court when deciding on such important matters.
“They should be mindful of the fact that any laxity on their part in taking the decision contrary to directions and observations of the Supreme Court may be viewed with requisite seriousness by the court.”
The bench gave three more weeks to the Delhi Government to take a firm decision and conduct a meeting to release funds for residential flats in Dwarka. A building had earlier been constructed at this location but was demolished due to poor construction quality.
The court also directed the Commissioner to file an affidavit detailing what steps have been taken so far in following the court’s orders, including the availability of alternative flats for judicial officers. Additionally, the Director of the DDA has been asked to be present in the next hearing scheduled in May.
This entire issue highlights the serious lack of proper housing facilities for judicial officers in the national capital and reflects the judiciary’s growing frustration with the government’s delay and lack of response.
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