The Punjab and Haryana High Court has recently dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by one Lakshay Attri, seeking directions to restore the Football Stadium in Sector 17, Chandigarh to international standards.
The petitioner prayed for the court to issue a writ of certiorari and mandamus, directing the respondents to take immediate remedial steps to upgrade the stadium, which was undertaken with a significant amount of sanctioned funds.
The court, however, restricted the scope of the petition to sporting activities in and around Sector 17, Chandigarh, via an interlocutory order dated July 17, 2024.
The primary contention raised by the petitioner’s counsel was that the available football field size of 107 x 17 metres was insufficient, and a larger area should have been allocated to provide ample buffer space around the field.
This, they argued, would prevent players from colliding with the boundary wall.
Moreover, the counsel pointed out that the buffer area had been utilized for laying sprinklers and drainage instead.
In response, the UT Administration cited space constraints as the reason for not providing the desired buffer area.
The High Court bench, comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel, opined that it could not interfere with policy matters regarding the football field’s size, especially since the stadium was not hosting national or international matches.
Ultimately, the court dismissed the petition, stating that it could not step into the shoes of the administration and start running it.
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