'Any Obstruction In The Discharge of Constitutional Functions Of Courts Must Be Viewed Seriously', HC Directs Delhi Govt To Release Funds For Requirements Of District Courts [Read Order]

While directing the Delhi Government to clear pending proposals to finance the District Courts, the Division Bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Subramonium Prasad highlighted that:

'Despite the aforesaid revenue generated by the District Courts over the past three years, they are being starved of finances for the basic facilities required to run the courts efficiently, which cannot be countenance. Any obstruction in the discharge of constitutional function of the courts must be viewed seriously.'

The order has come in a writ petition seeking adequate digitisation and providing other facilities to the District Courts in Delhi.

Today, the court while perusing the status report filed by the Delhi Government, observed that the proposals for providing adequate support staff including group 'C' staff and official vehicles for the Judges to commute to court have been pending for a long time.

Mr Santosh Kumar Tripathi, who appeared for the Delhi Government, assured the court that if granted two more weeks, the pending matters will be placed before the cabinet of the Delhi Government for consideration. However, he couldn't provide a firm timeline within which Delhi Government will act on all the pending issues relating to the District Courts.

In light of these submissions, the court noted that:

'Keeping in mind the request made on behalf of the Delhi High Court that no further delay can be brooked as 150 Judicial Officers are due to be posted in the next couple of months and their courts cannot be made functional without adequate support staff, it is deemed appropriate to direct the Delhi High Court to release the required sum of Rs. 2,52,10,178/- from its budget to the District Court without any delay with a condition that the said amount shall be returned to the Delhi High Court immediately on funds being made available by the Delhi Government to the District Court, which exercise shall be completed on or before 31.12.2020.'

The court will next take up the matter on December 03.

Case Title: Anand Vaid v. Preeti Vaid

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