By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: It seems like the State would have to wait for some more time to get its own high court as the State Government is currently awaiting an amendment to the North Eastern Areas (Reorganization) Act, 1971.
Deputy Chief Minister and In-charge Law department, Bindo M Lanong, on Saturday stated that the Central Government is currently drafting the North Eastern Areas (Reorganization) Act, 1971 following which the process for setting up of a separate high court in Meghalaya would be initiated.
Lanong mentioned that he had already written to Union Law Minister Salman Khursheed to speed up the process of setting up the high court in the State.
Khurshid had recently informed the Lok Sabha that an amendment to the North Eastern Areas (Reorganization) Act, 1971 was required for the formal establishment and functioning of separate high courts for the three states of Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura, where the respective state governments have already created necessary infrastructure for establishment of the separate high courts.
With regards to infrastructure, the State Government has already constructed a sprawling building for the high court.
The proposed separate high courts in the three states would largely reduce the burden of the Gauhati High Court, the only one in the Northeastern region.
The Gauhati High Court, set up in 1948, has six benches located in Shillong, Kohima, Imphal, Agartala, Aizawl and Itanagar.
