Gurgaon: Nine years on, the spotlight has shifted to the long-delayed Tower of Justice project, two days after a fire at the district court building severely disrupted judicial work. The public works department (PWD) has deployed additional manpower from adjoining districts to accelerate construction as the deadline looms.
The Tower of Justice — planned as a large modern judicial complex spread over seven acres — was intended to house multiple courtrooms and judicial facilities. The building is located next to the existing court premises.
The fire that broke out on Sunday has now intensified demands for timely completion, with officials acknowledging that the Tower of Justice’s readiness is crucial to preventing such disruptions in the future. “We are putting all our efforts to complete the work,” said a PWD official.
The under-construction facility, meant to ease space constraints and modernize infrastructure, is already under scrutiny by the Punjab and Haryana High Court for missing multiple deadlines. Its construction began in January 2017 with a three-year deadline, but nine years later, the project remains incomplete. The High Court has now issued strict directions to the PWD to complete the project by June 15, emphasizing that further delays will not be tolerated.
The foundation stone for the judicial complex was laid in 2014, but the project was delayed mainly due to issues linked to the transfer of land held by the agriculture department. After the land hurdle was cleared, construction was inaugurated by several High Court judges. The project was expected to be completed by 2020.
A senior government official said after the fire, the focus is on the completion of the project. “The judiciary wants the project to be completed by mid-June, so the court can be shifted to the new complex after the summer vacation,” the official added.
In April, taking serious note of the repeated delays and slow progress, the High Court described the prolonged wait as “administrative inefficiency” and issued a notice to the state government, setting May 15 as the final deadline. It warned that if the project is not completed by then, it may initiate action against the chief secretary and other officials responsible for the delay. In May, on the request of the government, the High Court extended the deadline for another month.
A TOI correspondent visited the under-construction site on Tuesday, and it seems highly unlikely to shift the court to the new building in the next few months. “Civil works might be completed, but it will take a few months to make this building ready to host the courts,” said an official.
The High Court pointed out: “The delay in completing such an important judicial infrastructure project is a matter of grave concern. Despite several opportunities and longer timelines being given earlier, the work remains unfinished.”
The tower will consist of two blocks of eight and seven floors, accommodating 55 district and sessions courts. At present, the city has 45 courts handling around 65,000 pending cases. The cost has now risen to Rs 295 crore from the initial estimate of Rs 113 crore.
Each floor will have a waiting area and seating for assistant district attorneys. The ground floor will include a single-window care centre for legal services and a centralized complaint filing system. The first floor will house a library and a bar room with seating for 1,500 people. Women advocates will also get a separate bar room for the first time. The premises will also have multi-level parking.
To improve security and prevent untoward incidents, separate entry and lift access have been planned for accused persons appearing in court. The complex will also have 20 mediation centres, compared with only six in other districts. A separate block will house facilities such as banks and post offices.
