Atishi 'shocked' to see dilapidated condition of Rohini court building

New Delhi, Dec 22 (IANS) In response to the concerns raised by judges and lawyers about the poor management of facilities at the Rohini Court Complex, Delhi's Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Atishi on Friday visited the site to assess the situation and expressed dissatisfaction with the deteriorating state of the court building. 

Following her visit, she directed the Principal Secretary of PWD to produce a comprehensive annual maintenance contract by December 30, in consultation with the Principal Secretary (Law).

“I visited the Rohini Court Complex along with the Building Maintenance and Construction Committee (Rohini Court Complex) members after receiving several grievances from judges and lawyers regarding poor management of the facilities in the court complex. I was shocked to see the dilapidated condition of the court building,” she said in the notice issued to the Principal Secretary (PWD). 

“The entire building has major seepage issues with water percolating through the walls and the ceiling. Due to the seepage, the walls are damp and dirty with paint and cement chipping off the walls. 

"The false ceilings are also in bad condition. Several panels are missing and wires are hanging overhead. The courtrooms and lawyer's chambers are lacking proper maintenance. Cleanliness of the building is also a major issue. 

"The toilets, especially the ladies' toilets, are dirty and unhygienic. I also visited the basement of the building, which is in a poor state. Electrical fittings are missing, the stairs are poorly lit and broken,” the notice further read. 

“As a rule, all courts should be well-maintained with basic amenities. This is jointly the responsibility of the PWD and the Law Department. Majority of these issues can be simply resolved by having a comprehensive facility management system, in the form of an annual maintenance contract. 

"The facility manager can look into the day-to-day issues faced by the judges, lawyers and general public and resolve them in real time. The facility management system would be responsible for cleanliness, basic maintenance and other related issues of the building,” she asserted. 

“In the light of the above, the Principal Secretary (PWD) is directed to put up a draft of a comprehensive annual maintenance contract for maintaining the Rohini Court Complex in consultation with the Principal Secretary (Law) by December 30. Thereafter, all court complexes in Delhi need to be maintained on similar lines,” she added. 

--IANS

ssh/arm