Ranchi Civic Plans Face Delay Due to Law Officer Vacancies

The Jharkhand High Court has directed the state government to appoint law officers in the Ranchi Municipal Corporation. The lack of officers has delayed plan sanctions by the civic authority. A division bench expressed dissatisfaction and urged immediate action, with the next hearing scheduled for March 6.

The Jharkhand High Court instructed the state government on Thursday to ensure that law officers are appointed within the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) to sanction the pending plans held by the civic authority.

The court underscored the urgency of filling existing vacancies within the Corporation to facilitate smoother operations.

A division bench, including Chief Justice MS Ramachandra Rao and Justice Deepak Roshan, was deliberating on a public interest litigation initiated suo motu due to delays in plan sanctioning by RMC and Ranchi Regional Development Authority (RRDA). This case was initiated on December 1, 2023.

Information was earlier provided to the court, indicating that a special software is used for plan sanctioning but requires manual checking by a legal officer.

In the absence of such officers, plans undergo examination by the Corporation's additional administrator, which the court found inappropriate. Emphasizing the necessity of legal expertise within the RMC, the court indicated plans for a further hearing on March 6.

(With inputs from agencies.)