Cautioning that it will not hesitate to pass stringent orders against the State Government and its authorities for not filing statements in the court proceedings, the High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday directed the Chief Secretary to instruct all authorities in the State to ensure proper assistance to the court.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum issued the direction after noticing that the court way back in January 2020 had given a last chance to the Government and other authorities to file statement of objections to a PIL petition, which was filed in 2018 questioning the move to demolish heritage building housing Janata Bazaar on K.G. Road in the city.
“Neither the statement of objections has been filed on behalf of the State government nor the additional government advocate is aware as to why the same has not been filed. It is a very sorry state of affairs. We cannot appreciate the manner in which the government authorities taking the court orders so lightly,” the Bench observed.
Observing that the petition has been pending as the Government, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) have not filed to file their statements, the Bench noted that the BBMP has not even deputed an advocate to represent it though notice was ordered way back in March 2019.
