Haryana can't have HC in Chandigarh: Law Minister

Chandigarh, July 8 (UNI) Dismissing Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda's proposal for having a separate High Court for the state in Chandigarh, Union Law Minister H R Bhardwaj today said it should find a place for it within its own jurisdiction.

Talking to reporters here, Mr Bhardwaj said the Haryana High Court should come up within its own jurisdiction and not in Chandigarh which was a Union Territory.

However, he made it clear that he was in favour of Haryana having a separate High Court as it was entitled to have one as per constitution. Haryana was carved out as a separate state from the undivided Punjab in 1966.

At present, the Punjab and Haryana High Court is common for the two states.

Mr Hooda had recently suggested that Haryana should be given space for its separate High Court in the precincts of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on a 60:40 sharing basis like it shares the Secretariat building with its neighbouring state.

When his attention was drawn to the suggestion, the Law Minister said it was not a practical proposal and Haryana could not have it in Chandigarh.

''We have asked Haryana to locate land for its separate High Court within its own territory,''he said.

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