Haryana to get separate High Court soon; committee to set up separate bench constituted

NEW DELHI: In a major development, what is being seen as the first big step towards having a separate High Court for Haryana, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has constituted a committee of four senior High Court Judges to consider setting up of a separate Bench of the High Court for the convenience of litigants.

In an administrative order, the acting Chief Justice of the High Court has constituted the Committee 'for establishment of a separate Bench of Punjab and Haryana High Court at Southern/Western Haryana'.

The decision follows a letter written by Union law minister D V Sadananda Gowda on May 25 to the acting Chief Justice to 'examine the case'.

Gowda's letter, a copy of which ET has, is in response to a letter written by the Chief Minister Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar. In his April 17 letter, Khattar had written to Gowda raising the demand of creating a "separate" High Court for Haryana.

Khattar had also raised the demand in April at the Conference of Chief Justices and Chief Ministers of all the States held in Delhi.

Khattar wrote, on April 17, that Haryana had been requesting the Central government for a separate High Court for Haryana 'for the past one decade and more' to set up a separate High Court for the State.

Referring to various resolutions passed by Haryana government in 2002 and 2005, Khattar wrote that it was decided that the Parliament and Indian government would be requested to "move an appropriate Bill for carrying out suitable amendment in the Punjab Reorganisation Act,1966 and provide for a separate High Court for Haryana to be located at Chandigarh".

Khattar had added that creation of a separate Bench is "an easier option" since it does not require amendment of the said Act.