Pradeep Kumar vs Union Of India & Ors
2025 Latest Caselaw 1224 Jhar

Jharkhand High Court

Pradeep Kumar vs Union Of India & Ors on 29 July, 2025

Author: Sujit Narayan Prasad

Bench: Sujit Narayan Prasad

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI
             W.P. (PIL) No. 7612 of 2023
Pradeep Kumar                            ...    ...      Petitioner
                           Versus
Union of India & Ors.                                 ... Respondents
                      ---------

CORAM: HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SUJIT NARAYAN PRASAD

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For the Petitioner : Mrs. M. M. Pal, Sr. Advocate.

Mrs. Manjushri Patra, Advocate.

For the UOI           : Mr. Anil Kumar, ASGI
                         Mr. Abhijeet Kr.Singh, C.G.C.
For the State         : Mr. Rajiv Ranjan, A.G.
                         Mr. Jai Prakash, A.A.G.-IA
                         Mr. Piyush Chitresh, A.C. to A.G.
                         Mr. Yogesh Modi, A.C. to A.A.G.-IA
                      ---------
07/Dated: 29.07.2025

1.    Heard the parties.

2. The State is directed to file its affidavit regarding the availability of

the space for constructing the office-cum-court complex of the Central

Administrative Tribunal that was earmarked in the year 2016.

3. As regards the Central Government's stand, the learned

Additional Solicitor General of India is directed to file specific affidavit as

to how soon the circuit Benches of the Armed Forces Tribunal, National

Company Law Tribunal (N.C.L.T.) and the National Green Tribunal

(N.G.T.) shall be made operational in the State of Jharkhand, given the

fact that this is a mandate in terms of the judgment rendered by the

Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of Rojer Mathew Vrs. South

Indian Bank Limited & Ors., reported in (2018) 16 SCC 341.

4. Relevant portion of paragraph 14 of the counter affidavit filed by

the respondents-UOI read as under:-

"14. That, with regard to statement made in Para 1(c) of the petitions in reply, it is submitted that 02 acres of land was allotted by the Government of Jharkhand on 14.12.2016 for bringing up the

-1 of 2- office-cum-court complex. The process of construction was initiated with seeking of architectural designs and preliminary estimates. As the proposal was stuck in view of the budgetary constraints, prioritization of construction of own building of permanent Benches functioning in rented accommodation was done in comparison to that of circuit Benches. However, boundary wall around the allotted land was constructed on 12.09.2020 at the cost of around Rs 22,24,880/-. It is submitted that plans are afoot for the construction of office-cum-court-cum-residential complex similar to that of recently constructed structure of CAT, Jabalpur Bench.

The proposal for construction of office building of Circuit Sitting of CAT Ranchi was being earnestly pursued with the Competent Authority. However, earlier due to technical reasons i.e. the drawings submitted being not in accordance with the extant guidelines on the subject and later, due to paucity of funds the project could not materialize. Owing to limited fund availability, only a limited number of projects regarding construction of office buildings could be taken up and therefore it was decided at that very time, priority would be accorded to construction of own office building in respect of Permanent Benches of the Tribunal which were operating out of rented accommodations, which also involved hefty payout on a monthly basis in the form of rent payments and the construction of office building of circuit sittings was accordingly assigned second priority. Over these years, the funds allocated to this office have been utilized for the construction of office building of CAT Jabalpur Bench, CAT Lucknow Bench, CAT Guwahati Bench."

5. The State shall also file a separate affidavit regarding the status

of the lift, whereof direction was also passed in the year 2023.

6. List on 26.08.2025.

(Tarlok Singh Chauhan, C.J.)

(Sujit Narayan Prasad, J.) APK/VK

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