Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of Bombay high court rebuked the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for delays in conserving the historic Old High Court building. The HC rejected ASI’s reliance on Covid-19 as a justification and warned that accountability will be fixed.Hearing a suo motu petition and another PIL filed by former district bar association (DBA) secretary Manoj Sable through counsel Shreerang Bhandarkar on the deteriorating condition of the heritage structure, a division bench of Justices Anil Kilor and Raj Wakode expressed strong displeasure at the continued inaction.The court noted that the ASI, in its affidavit, cited the pandemic as a reason for failing to complete restoration work within the six-month deadline granted earlier. “Covid-19 impact subsided by the first quarter of 2022. Even thereafter, four years passed, yet no concrete steps have been taken,” the bench observed, dismissing the explanation. It added pointedly, “Such reasons cannot be accepted now”.The court recalled that a portion of the building collapsed earlier and was reconstructed only after judicial intervention, underscoring what it described as a pattern of administrative apathy. Despite that episode, the expected seriousness in preserving the heritage structure remained absent, the bench said.The matter will be heard next on April 6. Ashutosh Dharmadhikari assisted the court as amicus curiae, while Mugdha Chandurkar represented the Union govt.During the hearing, the ASI submitted that completing the entire restoration within six months was not feasible. The court, however, found the justification inadequate in light of the prolonged delay and the significance of the building.The bench directed the ASI to place on record the names of officials responsible for the delay, indicating that action could follow if their performance was found unsatisfactory.
