Chandigarh, Oct 23: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Chandigarh administration to file a detailed affidavit explaining what disciplinary steps have been initiated against officers and employees of the Sector 26 market committee for failing to maintain hygiene and control encroachments at the city’s principal fruit and vegetable market.
The order followed an affidavit submitted by the Union Territory administration after the court took suo motu notice of the deteriorating conditions at the mandi, including littered garbage, muddy lanes, and illegal structures.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry remarked that the administration’s response focused only on fines imposed on private cleaning contractors while overlooking the accountability of its own staff. “Merely penalising private agencies will not suffice,” the bench said, adding, “The affidavit is silent about what has been done against market committee officers who failed to supervise or prevent littering.”
Calling for greater departmental responsibility, the court instructed the administration to file a fresh affidavit specifying what action has been taken against defaulting employees. The case is scheduled for further hearing on November 10.
