The Maharashtra Government has communicated to the Bombay High Court that they will complete the installation of air conditioners in the bar rooms for advocates within the high court premises by December 31, 2023. This information was provided in response to a Government Resolution dated October 3, 2023. They also submitted a chart signed by the Deputy Engineer (Electrical) from the Public Works Department (PWD) in Mumbai, outlining that the air conditioning installation work will be finished by the specified date. This communication pertains to infrastructure improvements.

Advocate General Birendra Saraf also updated the bench that a government resolution was approved on October 3, 2023, allocating a sum of Rs. 3,76,37,000 for the installation of the air conditioning units.

In response to this information, the division bench of the high court, consisting of Chief Justice Devendra K Upadhyaya and Justice Arif Doctor, decided to conclude and dismiss the petition.

The high court was considering a petition filed by five former Presidents of the Advocates Association of Western India, which included four senior advocates. They had requested the installation of air conditioning systems in the Advocates Bar Rooms within the high court premises.

The petition was submitted by Senior Advocates Shirish Gupte, Ashok Mundargi, Prasad Dhakephalkar, Rajiv Patil, and Advocate Balkrishna Joshi. In their plea, they highlighted that air conditioning systems had been previously installed in the courtrooms in the year 2000 to mitigate external noise disturbances near the high court. However, the exhaust systems were placed outside the bar rooms, resulting in the bar rooms remaining uncomfortably warm.

As a result, due to the placement of the exhaust system outside the bar rooms, the temperatures inside these rooms have once again begun to increase. The former presidents had approached the high court with a request for the allocation of funds amounting to Rs. 43,137,719. However, the High Court registrar approved an allocation of Rs. 37,637,000 for the installation of air conditioners. Nevertheless, as of now, the installation work has not been carried out.

The petition also pointed out that there is currently inadequate ventilation in the Advocates Bar Rooms on the high court premises due to the presence of exhaust systems.

Case: Shirish Gupte & ors. Vs State of Maharashtra & Ors, WRIT PETITION NO.3252 OF 2023.