Rajasthan High Court disposes PIL highlighting irregularities in Panchayat Bhawan construction

The Rajasthan High Court disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed highlighting various irregularities and rather non-compliance of any of the provisions and the mandates required for constructing Panchayat Bhawan.

The Counsel has gone to the extent of saying that the land which was earmarked for construction of the Panchayat Bhawan has not been utilized, rather the same has been constructed at an area, which is 63 meters away from the land earmarked for the said purposes.

No sanctions have been obtained for construction of such Panchayat Bhawan nor has any procedure been followed as prescribed under the norms for construction and for sanction of the same. He, on this basis, has asserted that the construction which is being sought to be carried out by the respondent No.7- Sarpanch of the Gram Panchayat is illegal and, therefore, the same should not be permitted.

Reply to the petition has been filed by the official respondents as well as respondent No.7. Explanation has been given by them with regard to the construction, which is now being carried out.

The Division Bench of Chief Justice Augustine George Masih and Justice Vinit Kumar Mathur noted that the grievance of the petitioners primarily is with regard to having not fulfilled the norms and the procedure prescribed, shifting of the place which was earmarked without any permission and the construction thereon is also illegal.

“This exercise cannot be gone into by the Court and, therefore, a direction is issued to the respondent No.2- District Collector, Nagaur to look into the matter at length and take a decision thereon in accordance with law. In case the project is found to have not been viable and feasible or illegal, further steps in accordance wth law be also initiated. This exercise be completed within a period of fifteen days from the date of receipt of certified copy of this order”, the order reads.