Shimla, Jan. 8 -- Himachal Pradesh high court has sought a status report on the ordinance extending the tenure of Shimla mayor and deputy mayor's to five years, while imposing a "conditional cost" of Rs.50,000 on the state.

The high court division bench of chief justice GS Sandhawalia and justice Jiya Lal Bhardwaj, while hearing a PIL, has directed the state to file a status report, after the petitioner's counsel had submitted that ordinance granting extension was lapsing on January 6.

The high court bench said, "Reply filed by the state is still lying under objections and has not been re-filed in spite of the exigency of the situation. Therefore, we impose conditional costs of Rs.50,000 on the state to remove the objections within two ...