Bar Assn challenges new conversion, parking charges

New Delhi, June 28 (UNI) The Delhi High Court Bar Association today challenged the applicability of new conversion and parking charges being demanded by the Delhi government from professionals.

President of the Delhi High Court Bar Association Amar Singh Chandiok filed a petition in the court challenging the decision of the government to levy the conversion and parking charges to the law professionals as the Master Plan allowed the use of residential premises for professional purposes.

The petition will come up for hearing before the vacation bench of the court on Friday.

The petition said the Supreme Court had also held that the legal profession was a calling to the bar. Consequently, lawyers were permitted by the Master Plan to use their premises for professional activities without any payment or charges as levied by the Government to other users.

The petition said the rules formed in 2006 by the Delhi Development Authority(DDA) for conversion and parking charges from commercial users and their very basis were faulty and without jurisdiction. These rules were applicable where mixed land use was permitted. If these charges would be levied from residential areas, all residents would have to bear the burden.

Mr Chandiok, in his petition, said a lawyer was entitled to work from his residence without any additional charges like other residents. This had also been permitted by the Master Plan.

Seeking a stay on the collection of the conversion and parking charges from lawyers, Mr Chandiok said that in doing so, Goverment was contradicting its own rules laid in the Master Plan.

The petition will be heard by a bench comprising justices H R Malhotra and Hima Kohli.

UNI