'Silicon City Of India Is In Karnataka And You Don't Want VC Facilities For Quasi Judicial Authorities?': High Court To State

A division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Suraj Govindaraj said "We direct the state government to ensure that the Revenue department submits a proposal to the Finance department for providing Video Conference hearing facilities to quasi judicial authorities under the said act of 1964. If such a proposal is submitted the same shall take an appropriate decision within one month from the date of submission of the proposal. Moreover, by the next date of hearing the state government must identify quasi judicial authorities which are discharging important functions concerning the common man."

In its order dated June 24, the court while hearing a petition filed by M. Nagaraj had said, "The first and second wave of Covid-19 resulted in complete shut down of the functioning of the quasi judicial authorities in the State. Now bearing in mind the principles laid down in the Disaster Management Act, 2005, all the public authorities must be in the state of preparedness, to meet the situation, which may be created by a possible third wave of Covid-19."

Accordingly, it had directed the State Government to take a decision for providing proper facilities of video conference hearing to all the quasi judicial authorities in the State. Initially, the State Government can identify quasi judicial authorities which are discharging very important functions and priority can be given to them for providing video conference hearing facilities, the Court had said. All the quasi judicial authorities in the State will have to be equipped with the facilities in phase wise manner, it added.

During the hearing today, the government counsel informed the court that presently it is difficult to start the video conference facility in all the quasi-judicial authorities, due to financial constraints. To which the court replied,

"Silicon city of India is in Karnataka and you don't want to have video conferencing facilities for quasi judicial authorities for regular hearing?"

It added "The quasi judicial authorities discharge the function which affects the common man, mutation entries and correcting the revenue record, if they can't function then…this will be part of preparedness for the third wave. If this system is made operational it will work for years."

The matter will be next heard on August 6.