Nainital, May 8 (PTI) The Uttarakhand High Court Wednesday asked the state government to explore the possibility of shifting a bench of the high court in IDPL, Rishikesh.

A judicial order to this effect was issued by a division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Bahri and Justice Rakesh Kumar Thapliyal on a PIL seeking removal of the former employees of the Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd (IDPL) who are still occupying the company's sprawling colony in Rishikesh.

Also Read | Patna Museum Fire: Massive Blaze Erupts at Old Museum During Renovation Process in Bihar’s Capital City, No Casualties Reported (Watch Videos).

Uttarakhand Advocate General S N Babulkar was present in the court during the proceedings. Chief Secretary Radha Raturi joined the proceedings virtually.

Although closed for years, the IDPL has a sprawling campus in the town spread over 850 acres which also has the residences of its former employees.

Also Read | Air India Express Cancels Over 90 Flights As Crew Goes on ‘Mass Sick’ Leave To Protest Against Alleged Mismanagement, Leaves Thousands of Passengers Stranded at Airports.

The high court's oral order sparked a sharp reaction from the high court bar association which held a meeting immediately to vehemently oppose it, saying shifting a bench of the high court to Rishikesh would serve no purpose.

It will neither be in the interest of the litigants nor the lawyers, the bar association said.

The division bench did not sign its order in view of the protest by the lawyers and sought a written proposal from the bar association within a week giving its views on the shifting of the high court bench elsewhere.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)