Chandigarh: The long-pending expansion of the Punjab and Haryana high court is set to move to the international stage, with the proposed development plan scheduled to be considered at a conference in Belgium in Nov under the aegis of the Le Corbusier Foundation, Paris.Before that, the Chandigarh administration’s engineering department will submit the consultant’s draft proposal to IIT Roorkee, which has been tasked with integrating it into the Capitol Complex site management plan and finalising the master-plan framework by Oct 30.The development comes amid growing concern over delays. The high court has already indicated that it would not accept further slippage in the project timeline. Although the administration was informed of the need for expansion in Nov 2024, the proposal is yet to move beyond the planning stage.The project involves the HC building, which forms part of Chandigarh’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed Capitol Complex designed by Le Corbusier. As a result, any intervention requires scrutiny under international heritage conservation norms.The proposal will be routed through the Centre to the Le Corbusier Foundation for consideration at the Belgium conference, where a final view on the framework is expected.The need for expansion has become increasingly urgent due to mounting space constraints. The high court has a sanctioned strength of 85 judges, likely to rise to 150 in the future, but only 69 courtrooms are currently available. The shortage extends to office and support infrastructure, with more than 10,000 lawyers, staff members and litigants using the complex.Court employees have repeatedly flagged inadequate workspace, poor ventilation and lack of storage facilities, forcing files to be kept in makeshift locations.The issue gained prominence after a public interest litigation, highlighted the deteriorating condition of the building and the acute shortage of space.Officials say the proposed plan aims to address these infrastructure gaps while ensuring that the architectural and heritage character of the Capitol Complex remains intact.
