PIL against collection of parking charges by JKHCBAJ
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 12: In a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by an RTI activist Balwinder Singh challenging collection of parking charges by J&K High Court Bar Association Jammu, Division Bench of the State High Court comprising Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Sindhu Sharma has issued notices to Registrar General, Law Secretary and President, Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association, Jammu.
When the PIL came up for hearing, the petitioner submitted that the entire court complex at Jammu belongs to J&K High Court and J&K High Court Bar Association, Jammu has no authority / right to collect the parking charges from the litigants and public at large.
He further submitted that parking charges were being collected on hourly basis and the litigants were made to pay up to Rs 100 per day keeping in view the hours spent in the court complex. He further submitted that the petitioner in view of the excessive parking charges had lodged a complaint to the Chief Justice and thereafter the parking charges were slashed to Rs 30 per day for four wheelers and Rs 20 for two wheelers by J&K High Court Bar Association Jammu.
He further submitted that the Registrar Judicial, J&K High Court, Jammu Wing in response to the RTI application moved by the petitioner divulged that J&K High Court Bar Association, Jammu is indulging in collection of parking charges illegally without any order or authority from the competent authority.
The Registrar Judicial, Jammu Wing also requested the Registrar General, J&K High Court that necessary action as warranted may be taken at the highest level against the collection of parking charges by the J&K High Court Bar Association, Jammu.
“There is huge resentment amongst the litigants and the public at large about the collection of parking charges by the J&K High Court Bar Association, Jammu as it is not the domain of the Bar to indulge in collection of parking charges”, petitioner said, adding “lakhs of rupees have been collected so far and the President, J&K High Court Bar Association, Jammu be directed to produce before the court the entire statement of accounts regarding the collection of parking charges ever since the Jammu Bar has started collecting the charges”.
After considering the submissions of petitioner, the Division Bench issued notices to Registrar General, Commissioner / Secretary Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs & President, Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association, Jammu with the direction to file response to the PIL within a period of 4 weeks.
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