Shimla, Sep 8 (IANS): The Himachal Pradesh High Court has issued notices to the state Chief Secretary, the Principal Secretary (PWD) and others over the non-availability of a parking facility near the Mata Chintpurni Temple, the prominent Hindu shrine in Una district.

A Division Bench of acting Chief Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua passed the orders on Tuesday on a petition taken up suo motu as a public interest litigation on a letter written to the Chief Justice by Vijay Singh.

The petitioner said the Mata Chintpurni Temple is one of the richest temples. But due to the lack of parking space devotees and local residents faced problems as traffic jams were a regular feature.

He said the police had given to the temple administration in writing that a parking lot should be constructed and resolutions to this effect were passed by the gram panchayats. Local residents had also brought the problem to the notice of the temple administration but nothing had been done till date.

The petitioner alleged that the high court passed directions in 2008 for the construction of a parking lot near the temple, but the orders were not complied with.

The petitioner prayed for directions to the temple administration for the construction of a parking lot on the Talwara bypass in a time-bound manner so that lakhs of devotees and local residents are relieved of traffic jams.

The court directed the state to file replies within four weeks.