Amid Boycott Of Bar, CJI Lays Foundation Of Integrated Complex Of Gauhati High Court

Guwahati: Amid the boycott by the Gauhati High Court Bar Association (GHCBA), Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Sunday laid the foundation stone of an integrated Judicial Court Complex at North Guwahati in Assam’s Kamrup district.

The first phase of the complex, spread over 148 bighas (about 48 acres) of land, is estimated to cost around Rs 479 billion. It will house the Gauhati High Court, district court buildings and a series of integrated facilities at Rangmahal aimed at improving access to justice and speeding up disposal of cases.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Supreme Court and high court judges and many dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

The proposed mega complex, which will shift the Gauhati High Court to a new location, will also have parking facilities for 900 vehicles and 400 two-wheelers.

Authorities stated that the new complex will increase judicial efficiency and ensure faster delivery of justice, and that all new buildings will be connected to each other by bridges with enhanced security, fire safety and disaster-resistant design.

Meanwhile, the Gauhati High Court Bar Association (GHCBA) on Sunday launched a four-hour strike to boycott the groundbreaking ceremony of the proposed new judicial city in Amingaon.

GHCBA vice president Santanu Borthakur said, “We are completely against the relocation of the Supreme Court from its current location in the heart of the city. We started a hunger strike from 10 am to 2 pm. None of our members will attend the ceremony.”

The Bar Association opposed the relocation of the courthouse complex from the beginning, claiming that the government took a unilateral decision to build the new judicial infrastructure.