KURNOOL: The process of setting up High Court Bench in Kurnool was initiated with the formal request from the HC Registrar to the district administration for information on the availability of infrastructure to accommodate the judiciary and related personnel.
Kurnool Collector P Ranjith Basha directed the Revenue Divisional Officer, Superintending Engineer of Roads & Buildings, and the Commissioner of Kurnool Municipal Corporation to identify suitable buildings and land to accommodate the court rooms and other needed infrastructure. ‘
The Registrar asked for the information to be submitted by January 30, marking a tight deadline for district authorities. Kurnool district Bar Association general secretary BS Ravikanth Prasad said that this move follows the State’s efforts to decentralise judicial services. The HC Bench move met with enthusiasm from local advocates, he added.
Another senior advocate and president of National Lawyers Forum for Social Justice Y Jayaraju said, “We are welcoming this move as yet another step forward in setting up permanent High Court Bench in Rayalaseema region at Kurnool. They view it as a long-awaited opportunity to reduce the travel burden on legal professionals, providing faster case resolutions and greater efficiency in the judicial system.”
Local officials are hopeful that suitable infrastructure will be found in time to allow the HC Bench to begin functioning as soon as possible, marking a new era in the Rayalaseema region’s legal landscape.
Speaking to TNIE, Kurnool District Revenue Officer (In-charge) Venkateswarlu said that they directed the officials concerned to immediately find out of the available accommodation required to set up the HC Bench in Kurnool, and then they will submit a detailed report to the higher officials.
They are mainly focused on finding buildings that can accommodate 15 High Court Judges, as well as various rooms for court operations and other essential amenities, he added. They are also tasked with identifying residential accommodation for judges.