Guwahati, Feb 7: The Gauhati High Court Bar Association has expressed dismay at the state law minister’s statement in the Assam Assembly in regard to the decision to shift the Gauhati High Court and other courts and tribunals in Kamrup (Metropolitan) district to North Guwahati.
The association said it had taken note of the statement made by minister of law and justice Ranjit Kumar Dass on Tuesday through media reports and that the decision to shift the High Court and other courts to Rangmahal in North Guwahati was taken to provide adequate space, sitting arrangements, library for lawyers and parking area for vehicles.
“We are shocked by such a statement made by the law minister, which is contrary to the assurance given by Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to the representatives of the association,” the association stated.
“The statement of the law minister also indicates that the stand of the state government has been communicated to the association. The association states with dismay that it has not been communicated with any such decision of the state government regarding shifting of the High Court. The association therefore demands that the law minister shall clarify this matter in the Assembly itself at the earliest,” it added.
The association had last year submitted a memorandum to the chief minister and resorted to a sit-in-demonstration opposing the decision to shift the High Court. Other associations of lawyers in the city as well as some NGOs have also opposed the decision to shift the High Court.
Eventually, representatives of the association met the chief minister at his office on September 30, 2023 wherein they were informed that upon completion of the bridge connecting North Guwahati and Guwahati, a ground study would be conducted to ascertain the time taken to travel from the High Court to Rangmahal and that only if a short time was taken would the process of land acquisition begin.
Moreover, 250 bighas of land would be required to set up the High Court, which would be difficult to acquire in the Rangmahal area.
“Further, the central government has to sanction funds for acquisition of land as the state was short of funds, and nothing has been budgeted by the state for the project. These are all uncertain factors. It may take 20 years to materialise such a project and it would have no effect on the present generation of lawyers. This was reported in the newspapers and media channels and there was no contradiction from the government,” the association stated.