GUWAHATI, Jan. 9: The Gauhati High Court Bar Association (GHCBA) has condemned the “unilateral move” of the state government to proceed with land acquisition for the proposed judicial township at Rangmahal in North Guwahati, emphasising that the relocation of the High Court to a remote area, lacking adequate infrastructure, would significantly impede the efficiency of legal proceedings and adversely affect litigants and legal professionals.
The association had on Wednesday convened a general meeting to address the government’s recent decision to relocate the Gauhati High Court to Rangmahal, a move that has been met with unanimous opposition from the legal fraternity, citing concerns over accessibility, infrastructure and lack of stakeholder consultation.
“Despite prior assurances from the honourable chief minister of Assam that no relocation would occur until the completion of the ongoing bridge construction, and commitments from the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court to involve the bar association in such decisions, the government has proceeded with land acquisition for the proposed judicial township at Rangmahal,” a statement issued by the association, said.
“The GHCBA demands an immediate halt to the project in the interest of all stakeholders and the public at large,” it stated.
The general body of the association further resolved to escalate their opposition to the highest echelons of the judiciary and executive, seeking immediate consultations with the chief minister and the Chief Justice to present their case against the relocation.
“The GHCBA is committed to pursuing democratic and lawful avenues to contest this decision, in collaboration with the advisory committee, to safeguard the interests of the legal community and the public,” it added.
In February last year, the association 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.
In 2023, the association had also submitted a memorandum to the chief minister and resorted to a sit-in-demonstration opposing the decision to shift the High Court to North Guwahati.
Representatives of the association had subsequently met the chief minister at his office on September 30, 2023 wherein they were informed that a ground study would be conducted upon completion of the bridge connecting North Guwahati and Guwahati, to ascertain the time taken to travel from the High Court to Rangmahal and that the process of land acquisition begin only if the travel time was short.