Itagar bats for independent High Court

Our Correspondent

Itagar, April 7: Aruchal Pradesh has re-affirmed the need to have an independent High Court of the state.

Participating in the joint conference of Chief Justices of High Courts and Chief Ministers at New Delhi on Sunday, Chow Mein, Minister for Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Husbandry & Dairy Development, who represented the state on behalf of the chief minister, informed that the required land for establishment of Permanent High Court has already been identified and allotment order is being issued shortly, official sources informed here today.

The DPR for the High Court building will be prepared in consultation with the Gauhati High Court and the work executing agency after the required land is formally allotted and the requirement of fund as per the DPR will be placed before the Centre for consideration in due course, he said.

Highlighting the various steps initiated by the state government for judicial reforms and delivery system, Mein said that district level committees headed by the district judge and the state level committee headed by the chief secretary has already been created and notified.

He explained that the status of infrastructure submitted by the district committee in the prescribed formats, when received by the state committee, is assessed and considered for onward submission to the monitoring committee at central level.

The creation of infrastructure of sub-ordite courts is taken up as per the separation of judiciary in a phased manner and the availability of fund.

Mein informed that twenty court buildings and seventeen residential buildings have been constructed till March this year for various categories of judicial officers under CSS (90:10) and (50:50) basis.

Further the state has already created the state and Juvenile Justice Boards for all districts and notified by the nodal department of Women and Child Development. One Juvenile Home has already been set up at Pasighat.

Mein further informed that twenty-one Alterte Dispute Redressal (ADR) centers are being constructed out of the fund allocated under 13th Fince Commission grant by diverting the fund from the components of Heritage Court Building and Morning & Evening Court with the approval of the Ministry of Fince.

He said the fund was diverted with prior approval as Morning & Evening Courts were not felt necessary due to low pendency of cases.

On strengthening the legal aid services, Mein informed that it is being rendered by the State Legal Services Authority from time to time and so far four Legal Aid Clinics have been established in the State.

As regards full time Member Secretaries of District Legal Service Authority, he said that the Judicial Officers in the State have been nomited by the High Court as ex-officio chairmen/Member Secretaries. Further, post of Member Secretary has already been created which will be filled up by the High Court.

On the other hand, five posts each of Chief Judicial Magistrate and Judicial Magistrate First Class and three posts of Additiol District & Sessions Judge were filled up and posted at different districts.

“The State Govt. is contemplating creation of more posts at the level of Magistrate-cum-Civil Judge (junior division) in various districts as per necessity,” Mein added.