New Delhi, Feb 29
The Delhi High Court on Thursday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking the merger of various North Indian cities with the national capital and the relocation of a new ‘Punjab High Court’ to Jalandhar from Chandigarh.
A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan Singh and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora said that the court does not have jurisdiction over matters regarding the functioning and location of High Courts or the alteration of state boundaries.
The plea, filed by retired Chief Engineer J.P. Singh sought directions for merging the Meerut Commissionerate (UP), and Sonepat, Faridabad, and Gurugram (all Haryana) with Delhi, and handing Chandigarh to Haryana while establishing a new High Court for Punjab in Jalandhar.
However, the bench rejected the plea, citing the provisions of Article 3 of the Constitution of India, which empowers Parliament to regulate the formation and alteration of states, boundaries, and names.
The bench also remarked on the impracticality of the plea, sarcastically commenting: “Someone wants us to redraw the map of India. That is what is left now.”
Moreover, the court said that the Parliament does not operate under its directives. During the hearing, Singh suggested that Parliament would comply with the court’s orders, to which the bench responded by citing the separation of powers between the judiciary and the legislature.
