Delhi PWD Minister Atishi expresses displeasure on Rohini court building's condition, instructs officials to prepare annual maintenance contract

New Delhi [India], December 22 : Delhi's Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Atishi expressed her displeasure at the condition of the Rohini court building and instructed the Principal Secretary (PWD) to prepare a draft of a comprehensive annual maintenance contract for maintaining Rohini Court Complex by December 30.
In a letter to the Principal Secretary (PWD) on Friday, Delhi Minister Atishi noted, "Yesterday I visited Rohini Court Complex along with Justice Rekha Palli, Building Maintenance and Construction Committee (Rohini Court Complex), 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. The entire building had major seepage issues with water percolating through the walls and the ceiling. Due to the seepage, the walls were damp and dirty with paint and cement chipping off the walls," she added.
PWD minister Atishi further stated that false ceilings inside the premises were also in bad condition and several panels were missing with wires hanging overhead.
"The toilets, especially the ladies' toilets, were dirty and unhygienic. I visited the basement of the building, which was in a poor state, Electrical fittings were missing - the stairs were poorly lit and broken. Rohini Court Complex is used by a large number of Judges, lawyers and their judicial staff. It is the responsibility of the Government to ensure they do not face any inconvenience while discharging their duties," Atishi noted.
"Besides, the Court is also visited by thousands of people, who come to these courts to resolve their legal issues on a daily basis. People who come to the court are basically aggrieved and come looking for justice. To inconvenience them further would be inhuman," she added.
Noting that it is a joint responsibility of the PWD and the Law Department to maintain such buildings, Atishi said, "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 Principal Secretary (PWD) is directed to put up a draft of a comprehensive annual maintenance contract for maintaining Rohini Court Complex in consultation with the Principal Secretary (Law) by 30th December," the PWD minister noted.
Atishi further mentioned that after the preparation of the draft, all court complexes in Delhi need to be maintained on similar lines.