NE Bar Council delegation moves Centre for grievance redressal of region's advocates

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: A delegation of the Bar Council of Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim led by the Bar Council Chairman, Sailendra Das, recently met the Minister of State, Ministry of Law & Justice, Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, here. MP (Member of Parliament) of Guwahati Queen Ojah was also present in the meeting. The delegation submitted a representation to the Union Minister highlighting the various problems being faced by the advocates of the North-East States. They also discussed the basic demands from the region's advocates.

The representation stated, "Some of these demands are as follows:

"A longstanding request has been for setting up a Bench of the Supreme Court of India at Guwahati for the North-Eastern States. The north-eastern part of our nation has varied geographical terrain ranging from the Himalayan mountain ranges to hills and hillocks, plateaus and also plains that are ravaged by floods every year.

"The place of sitting of the Supreme Court of India is in New Delhi at present. It is far off from the north-eastern states and Its access to the people of the north-east gets restricted due to physical, geographical and communication constraints peculiar to the region added to the immense financial constraints of its people, who are by and large, financially not well off. As such, access to justice in terms of approaching the Supreme Court is difficult for the people of the Northeast due to not having a bench of the apex Court in the region.

"Though requests have been made from certain corners for a Bench of the apex Court in Kolkata, it would not benefit the people of the Northeast'; and, the difficulties in accessing a Bench in Kolkata would be the same as accessing the present place of sitting of the Apex Court in New Delhi."

The NE Bar Council delegation also urged the Centre "to grant a considerable corpus with annual grants sufficient to our State Bar Council or a Welfare Trust under it for assisting the advocates for their financial and medical needs as a social-security measure".

The NE Bar Council delegation's representation added that there is an urgent need to develop the infrastructure in Courts and Bars in the Northeast including facilities for proper and well-stocked libraries, and canteens, among others.

A press release of the Bar Council added that "the Hon'ble Minister gave a patient hearing, shared his views and assured to consider the points raised by the Council.

The delegation consisted of the Bar Council Vice-Chairman — P.D. Nair; former Chairman H.R.A. Choudhury, Chairman designate — Chinmoy Chowdhury, and Secretary — Kulesh Goswami.

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