Calcutta HC asks Mamata govt to approach committee for Poush Mela fencing-related matters

Fencing of the Poush Mela ground started on Monday on the direction of the high court-appointed committee, which has two of its sitting judges as members.
Calcutta High Court (File photo| PTI)
Calcutta High Court (File photo| PTI)

KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court has declined the Bengal government's prayer for maintaining status quo at the Poush Mela ground, and asked the administration to approach the special committee it has appointed to deal with matters related to fencing work at the fair venue.

Fencing of the Poush Mela ground started on Monday on the direction of the high court-appointed committee, which has two of its sitting judges as members.

Turning down the government's plea for a stay on the construction of a perimeter fencing on the ground, a division bench comprising Chief Justice TBN Radhakrishnan and Justice Shampa Sarkar on Wednesday said that the state can approach the committee on any issue related to fencing.

Incidents of violence and vandalism had rocked Visva- Bharati campus on August 17, following the institute's attempt to construct a boundary wall around the Poush Mela ground.

Moving the prayer for a stay on the construction work, additional Advocate General for the state government, Abhrajit Majumdar, pointed out that this is an issue which calls for more detailed dialogue, and opportunity for exercise of opinion by different stakeholders.

The bench said that having taken stock of the first interim report placed before it by the committee, it saw that apart from an earnest effort for preserving the Poush Mela ground which is essentially a property of the Visva-Bharati, there is no other direction given by the committee which would adversely affect the citizens of that area from utilising the ground in a meaningful and peaceful manner.

The court also accepted the resignation of state Advocate General Kishore Dutta from the four-member panel, and said that it will henceforth be a three-member committee.

The committee, appointed to find out ways and means for appropriate resolution of issues concerning the central university, is headed by Justice Sanjib Banerjee and has Justice Arijit Banerjee as one of its members.

Additional Solicitor General of the Union government, the post currently held by Y Z Dastur, is the third member.

The bench had further directed that the district magistrate of Birbhum district may participate in the meetings of the committee.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com