Allahabad HC summons UP Chief Secretary, PS (PWD)

Allahabad: A seven judges larger bench of the Allahabad High Court on Friday has directed the UP chief secretary and also the principal secretary PWD to appear personally in the Court on August 26 to explain as to why the orders passed earlier for providing video conferencing facility in each and every jails in the state is not complied with.

The larger bench also directed the chief secretary to explain in the court as to why the uninterrupted power supply and infrastructure of the Courts including High Court here and at Lucknow is provided despite the assurance given by the departments to complete it.

This order was passed by a seven judges bench presided over by acting chief justice VK Shukla hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) regarding the safety and security of the Court's in the state and other problems relating to Courts, Lawyers and litigants.

The Judges summoned the chief secretary and principal secretary when it found that the orders passed earlier regarding video conferencing facility in all the jails, infrastructure facilities in the High Court and other Courts of the state is being complied at a very slow pace. Therefore the judges directed the chief secretary to explain the situation and apprise the bench upto what time the government will complete the facilities in compliance of the Court's order.

The court has fixed August 26 as next date of hearing.