Gauhati High Court Bar Association To Protest Against Against Shifting Of HC To Rangmahal, Writes To President Murmu

The Gauhati High Court Bar Association (GHCBA) has decided to hold a protest on June 27 against the state government’s decision to shift the High Court from Guwahati to Rangmahal in the Kamrup (Rural) District on the Northern Bank of river Brahmaputra.

The GHCBA has also submitted a memorandum dated June 16 to the President of India demanding revocation, and expressing its deep anguish and resentment on the decision to shift the High Court.

According to the memorandum, in the meeting held in the office of the Chief Minister on May 23, a high-level committee is to be constituted with a Justice of Gauhati High Court, Advocate General of Assam, Chief Secretary of Assam, LR & Secretary Judicial Department, D.C. Kamrup, Special Secretary PWD (B&NH) for inspecting the proposed land comprising 240 Bighas in Rangmahal area of Amingaon out of which around 100 Bighas will be required for setting up the new High Court complex in the form of a Judicial City.

Quoting from the minutes of meeting, the GHCBA further said it has been decided that the new Complex will accommodate the entire Gauhati High Court as well as other Judicial Courts of Kamrup Metro and Kamrup districts including residential accommodation for Judges and other officials and staff.

GHCBA said the members of the Bar were unanimous that the move be opposed tooth and nail as the same is not only unreasonable but also undermines not only the role of the members of the Bar in the justice dispensation system but even the convenience of the litigant public in general.

It further said the proposal to shift the High Court if implemented would cause a great deal of hardship to the lawyers practicing in the Gauhati High Court and the various other Courts and Tribunals located in the city as they have built up their establishments and chambers in the city and it would have serious impact on their working style and functioning as a lot of time would be lost every day in travelling to various courts from different parts of Guwahati.

GHCBA also said that the young lawyers and especially lady lawyers would be seriously affected if they have to travel all the way to Rangmahal.

“The present location of the Gauhati High Court and other Courts which are scattered nearby can be accessed by lawyers and litigants converging from various directions of the city. Even assuming that the new bridge that is being constructed would shorten the distance between Guwahati and Rangmahal, the fact remains that, lawyers and litigants will have to converge at one or two points and finally cross the bridge from a particular point over the river or in its bank and take a Single route which would create severe traffic congestion over the bridge and as a result of which valuable time, fuel and energy would be wasted, in the process adversely impacting the System and even the environment. It can be reasonably expected that during the peak hours, the rush of vehicles trying to cross the bridge at a time, would lead to utter chaos”.

GHCBA further said the newly constructed High Court building was reportedly constructed at a cost of about Rs. 100 crores and even 10 years have not been elapsed, since its inauguration and it is not understood as to what necessitated the shifting of the entire apparatus to Rangmahal, even though much better accommodation could have been provided in an around the present High Court premises.

“The Gauhati High Court Bar Association therefore demands that the decision to shift the Gauhati High Court and other Courts from Guwahati to Rangmahal be revoked. Further, the building learnt to be a Convention Centre in the making be handed over to the High Court for its expansion and housing the other Courts, tribunals within the Kamrup (Metropolitan) District in the interest of better dispensation of Justice, befitting the concerns for development of the Judicial infrastructure,” the memorandum read.

Click Here To Read/Download Memorandum