IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH CWP No.7777 of 2008 (O&M) Date of Decision: 20.1.2009 Dinesh Kumar ....Petitioner Versus State of Punjab and others .....Respondents CORAM: HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE HEMANT GUPTA 1. Whether Reporters of local papers may be allowed to see the judgment? 2. To be referred to the Reporters or not? 3. Whether the judgment should be reported in the Digest? Present: Shri Tribhuwan Singla, Advocate, for the petitioner. Ms. Madhu Dayal, Additional AG, Punjab. Shri A.P.S. Mann, Advocate, for respondent No.3. Shri K.K. Bansal, Advocate, for respondent No.6. Shri S.S. Dhillon, Advocate, for respondent No. 7. T.S. Thakur, C.J. (Oral). CM No. 720 of 2009. Short written statement on behalf of respondent No.3 is taken on record and CM disposed of. CWP No. 7777 of 2008. The grievance in this petition filed in public interest is that the respondent-Municipal Council, Barnala, has taken no action to have certain encroachments on a public street at Barnala removed. A mandamus directing the Municipal Council, to do the needful has, therefore, been prayed for. In response to the notice issued by this Court, the Municipal CWP No.7777 of 2008 (2) Council, has filed a short affidavit in paras No. 5 and 6 whereof, it is, inter- alia, stated that the Council has filed two separate cases under the provisions of Punjab Public Premises and Land (Eviction and Rent Recovery) Act, 1973, before the Collector, Barnala Sub Division, in October, 2008. It is urged that since appropriate steps have been taken in the matter for removal of encroachment, no further directions are required in these proceedings. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that in the light of the averments made in paras No. 5 and 6 of the reply mentioned above, this petition could be disposed of with a direction to the Collector to expeditiously dispose of the proceedings pending before him. In the circumstances, therefore, we dispose of this petition with the direction that the Collector, Barnala, before whom the aforementioned cases have been filed, shall make an endeavour to expedite the disposal of the said proceedings and pass final orders on the same as far as possible within a period of one year from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. We make it clear that we are expressing no opinion about the existence of the alleged encroachment or the maintainability of the proceedings instituted before the Collector mentioned above. The aggrieved party shall, therefore, be free to raise all such contentions, as are open to them, in law. No costs. (T.S. THAKUR) CHIEF JUSTICE (HEMANT GUPTA) JUDGE 20.1.2009 ds