Chandigarh, Oct. 3 -- The four-block expansion under the holistic development plan of Punjab and Haryana high court (HC), aimed at increasing courtrooms by at least 35 and creating 22 lakh square ft of parking area, isestimated to cost Rs.1,454 crore. While the initial estimates had stood at Rs.1,600 crore, a top official privy to the development said, "The officers sat with the consultant and the final estimate worked out now is Rs.1,454 crore." "The cost estimates have been approved by the HC administration and are now to be put up before the UT administrator before sending it to the central government," the official added. According to the proposal, four new blocks with 30-35 more court rooms on a 11.42 lakh square-feet area behind the heritage building designed by Le Corbusier, and an additional parking capacity of 11.17 lakh square feet at the Capitol Complex are to be part of the extension area. The advocate general (AG) offices of Punjab and Haryana, judicial record room, and old lawyers' chambers amongothers, built on a 2.07 lakh square ft area are to be demolished and merged into the extension blocks. The parking will have three floors below the new complex. Only three floors, including the ground floor, can be constructed over the ground as the skyline of the heritage building has to be protected. With this, the total parking capacity would go up to 22 lakh square ft, officials privy to the plan said. The project will need clearance from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as the HC, opened in 1955, is part of the Capitol Complex, which was declared a world heritage site in 2016. The UNESCO arm is likely to take up the UT proposal in November. The holistic plan initiated in 2013 had to be shelved due to the 2016 status by UNESCO. The international body also rejected an underground parking project at the site in 2023. Now, a modified plan has been be sent to the UNESCO arm for clearance in January. Over 10,000 cars and thousands of two-wheelers come to the HC daily as there are 10,000 lawyers and over 3,300 court employees, besides the litigants. The court has a sanctioned strength of 85 judges - but at present, it has only 60 judges and only 69 courtrooms. If all the sanctioned posts are filled, the administration would struggle to get court rooms for all. In the future, the strength is to go up. Moreover, the complex is seeing massive traffic jams on a daily basis during peak hours. In 2024-25, the administration also toyed with the idea of shifting the HC to a new complex in Sarangpur on the outskirts of Chandigarh. A site at IT Park near Panchkula was also explored. The idea, however, saw massive opposition from the lawyers and had to be shelved....