Shimla, June 20 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh High Court on Friday came down heavily on the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led state government over its failure to appoint a full-time Chairman and members to the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) within the stipulated time.
During the hearing, the court also took serious note of the extension granted to Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena, allegedly by suppressing critical facts related to a pending criminal case.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Ranjan Sharma expressed displeasure over the delay and said that such casual conduct in filling statutory posts shows administrative apathy.
The state government informed the bench that while one RERA member has been appointed, the appointment of the chairman and another member is still pending.
The court also took cognisance of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by petitioner Atul Sharma, challenging the six-month extension granted to Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena on March 28, 2025.
The petitioner contended that Saxena, who was rejected earlier as a candidate for RERA chairman, was still granted extension as Chief Secretary, despite a CBI chargesheet pending against him.
According to the PIL, the CBI confirmed in January 2025 that a chargesheet had been filed against Saxena under the Anti-Corruption Act, and that a criminal case was ongoing. However, this fact was allegedly concealed from the Central Government while seeking extension of service.
The petitioner further alleged that Saxena’s name was not included in the list of officers with doubtful integrity, violating service norms and raising questions under Article 123 of the Constitution.
The court observed that such concealment, if proven, could amount to a serious breach of public trust and ordered that the matter be taken up again on June 25 for considering interim relief.
The Centre has already been served notice in the matter. Meanwhile, the government's justification for shifting the RERA office to Dharamshala has failed to cut ice with the court, which has questioned the motives behind administrative delays. UNI ML SSP