HC notice to Khattar on contempt plea

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) on Wednesday put Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on notice on a contempt plea alleging violation of HC orders in the case of a firm seeking allotment of more sites for CNG stations in Gurugram.

The CM was made party as the chairman of the Haryana

Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP). The plea was filed by Haryana City Gas Distribution Ltd, an oil and gas distribution firm in Gurugram with 28 stations. The HC bench of justice HS Sidhu has sought response by March 24 from the CM further adding that a compliance report be filed on or before the next date of hearing.

On September 23, 2020, an HC bench had disposed of a plea from the firm directing that representations of the firm be decided by the respondent (HSVP chairman) not later than December 1, 2020.

It was directed that the decision be communicated to the firm not later than December 8, 2020. The plea on that day was disposed of with these directions with a liberty to the petitioner that if aggrieved by such decision, it can file a fresh plea.

On September 23 last year, the court was told that the firm wanted to open 11 more stations and over a dozen representations were given to authorities for allocation of land for setting up CNG stations at Sector 49, Gurugram, the dividing road of Sectors 49 and 50, Gurugram and in certain other sectors.

The September 23 plea was that none of the representations of the firm have been decided by the respondent, HSVP chairman and CM Khattar, hence, the HC’s indulgence was sought.