SC stays opening of road outside Mann’s residence

In a significant development, the Supreme Court on Friday stayed the opening of a road outside Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann’s residence in Chandigarh for an experimental period.

Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, presiding over the bench, noted the opposition from both the Centre and the Punjab government to the road’s opening. The road has remained closed since the 1980s, due to a threat perception.

Responding to a petition filed by the Punjab government, the bench has issued a notice, seeking a response from the administration of the Union Territory of Chandigarh by September 2, 2024.

The Supreme Court highlighted that the road’s closure in the 1980s coincided with the peak of terrorism in Punjab.

Earlier, on April 22, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had ordered the opening of the 500-metre road connecting Sukhna Lake to Nayagaon in Chandigarh on a trial basis from May 1. Furthermore, the High Court instructed the Chandigarh Police to engage traffic experts to devise a traffic management plan for the road. It specified that the road would be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on working days. Since the closure of the road, commuters traveling between Nayagaon and Sukhna Lake have been compelled to take lengthy detours through adjacent parts of the city.