Disruption in power supply in Chandigarh: Punjab & Haryana HC takes suo motu cognizance 

The Punjab and Haryana High Court summoned the chief engineer of Chandigarh to appear before it on February 23 after taking suo motu notice of the disrupted electrical supply in substantial areas of Chandigarh. 

The division bench of Justice Ajay Tewari and Justice Pankaj Jain asked the Chandigarh administration’s chief engineer to inform the court of the steps taken to relieve the city’s electrical problem. 

“It has been brought to our attention that electricity supply to substantial areas of the city of Chandigarh has been disrupted,” the court wrote in the decision. In the circumstances, we are compelled to pursue this matter through the courts and have urged that the learned Senior Standing Counsel, UT, Chandigarh, inform us of the preparations that the administration is making to ensure that inhabitants of the city are not subjected to undue hardship.” 

ANIL MEHTA INFORMED THE COURT  

Anil Mehta, senior standing counsel for Chandigarh, informed the court that sabotage by striking employees caused the power outage. The UT senior counsel further told the bench that the UT administration had requested authorities from Punjab and Haryana to help them deal with the problem.

According to the UT counsel, he is unaware of Haryana’s reaction. According to the most recent information he has received, Punjab has stated that it would not send anyone on a delegation. 

“This Court cannot be indifferent to the fact that disruption of power supply affects not only ordinary citizens but institutions such as hospitals where patients may be on ventilators and other life support systems,” the bench stated.

Virtual hearings have been disrupted at this court in several instances because lawyers cannot present due to a lack of energy in their offices. Aside from that, students are required to take online tests and classes. In such circumstances, a power outage can have irreversible consequences.” 

According to reports, numerous regions in Chandigarh experienced power outages as staff of the Electricity Department went on a three-day strike in protest of the department’s privatization. 

Published by- Aashay Bhujbal

Edited by- Kritika Kashyap