STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI, Jan 11: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Sunday laid the foundation stone for an integrated Judicial Court Complex at Rangmahal in North Guwahati, even as the move continued to face strong opposition from the Gauhati High Court Bar Association (GHCBA).
The proposed complex, envisioned as a modern judicial city, will also house the principal seat of the Gauhati High Court, which serves Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland.
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The foundation stone was laid in the presence of chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Law and Justice minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, judges of the Supreme Court and various high courts, along with several other dignitaries.
The judicial township will be developed over 148 bighas, or around 49 acres, with an estimated cost of Rs 479 crore in the first phase, as approved by the state cabinet last year.
According to officials, the integrated complex will include high court and district court buildings, offices for the judiciary and the bar, and extensive parking facilities for around 900 cars and 400 two-wheelers.
All buildings will be interconnected through bridges and designed with advanced security systems, fire safety measures and disaster-resilient features, with the aim of enhancing judicial efficiency and ensuring faster delivery of justice.
Addressing the controversy surrounding the project, the Chief Justice expressed surprise over the opposition by sections of the legal fraternity.
He said the integrated judicial complex was planned to meet the future needs of the judiciary and the legal profession, and stressed that personal or vested interests should not become grounds for resisting infrastructure development.
He noted that the site was strategically located and would provide comprehensive facilities under one roof, adding that, as head of the judiciary, he was duty-bound to consider the requirements of future generations of lawyers.
The GHCBA, however, continued its protest against the relocation of the high court from its current location at Uzan Bazar in the heart of Guwahati to the northern bank of the Brahmaputra.
Members of the association boycotted the foundation stone laying ceremony and staged a four-hour hunger strike, reiterating their demand that the high court should not be shifted from its existing premises.
GHCBA vice-president Santanu Borthakur said the association was completely against moving the court from its present location and alleged that the government had gone ahead with the project unilaterally despite sustained opposition.
He added that the association was considering challenging the decision in court and that its executive committee would meet soon to decide the future course of action.
The present Gauhati High Court complex comprises a historic building and a modern multi-storey structure built a few years ago, located on either side of Mahatma Gandhi Road and connected by an underground tunnel with escalator facilities.
The Assam government has maintained that the relocation is necessary as part of its broader plan to develop the Brahmaputra riverfront, for which the existing high court land is required.
A new convention centre is also under construction near the old high court complex on the riverbank.
Meanwhile, Assam Advocate General Devajit Saikia has criticised the protest, alleging that there is a nexus with political parties behind the opposition.
Despite the resistance, the state government has reiterated its commitment to proceed with the construction of the new judicial township in North Guwahati.
