HC orders to shift dharna site to Gardanibagh

The Patna High Court today issued an order to Patna district administration to shift the dharna site to Gardanibagh from near R-block at present in a bid to ease traffic congestion in the heart of the town.
The order was given by a division bench of Chief Justice L Narasimha Reddy and Justice Anjana Mishra on a PIL by one S S Saran.
The Court took strong exception to the dharna site near R-block flyover saying it defeated the purpose of constructing a flyover to decongest traffic and sought option from Patna district administration for an alternative place for staging protests.

The present dharna site is near the state assembly and railway station and inconveniences people whenever a programme is on there.
The district administration gave the option of shifting it to near Public Library at Gardanibagh, which the court rejected saying such things should not take place near a library.
The administration viewed Sanjay Gandhi stadium and dumping yard, both in Gardanibagh locality, as second and third choices, which the Court accepted and instructed the administration to chose either of them.
Since Sanjay Gandhi stadium is in working condition, the dharna site should be shifted to that place from today itself, the court directed.

Later, when the dumping site is developed by levelling the ground, the district administration could think of it as another possible place for allowing dharna, the court said.