VIJAYAWADA: The newly-constructed Civil Courts Complex in Vijayawada is all set for inauguration. The seven-storeyed complex built with Rs 100 crore on 14,990 sq.m area will accommodate 29 courts. Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana is likely to inaugurate the facility on August 20. Bezawada Bar Association (BBA) president Chandragiri Vishnu Vardhan told TNIE that the court complexes built by the British were in a dilapidated state. Taking a serious note of the issue, the then high court chief justice Justice NV Ramana laid the foundation for the court complex in 2013.
Around Rs 53 crore was sanctioned by the government for expediting the works. The Roads and Buildings (R&B) department had entrusted the task to a contractor. However, there was not much progress in the works, he added. The construction of the new civil courts complex got delayed by several years even as actual deadline was set for February 2017.
In May 2018, the works resumed and progressed at a brisk pace. At present, there are four courts sheltered in a complex on Besant Road, two on Nakkala Road and four in the NTR Complex. After the State bifurcation, special courts were established which included commercial courts, MP and MLA courts, POCSO court and NIA court. All of them will be accommodated in the newly constructed civil courts complex soon after it begins functioning, he said.
On the facilities to come up at the new court complex, Vishnu Vardhan said the G+7 building with advanced facilities will accommodate a bank, post office, 29 court halls and public prosecutors’ halls. All the court halls and employees offices are equipped with a central air conditioning facility and this will be the first court complex in the state to be equipped with an air conditioning facility. A special chamber for judges has also been developed. “The court complex was initially scheduled to be launched on August 7. However, the programme had to be postponed. It may take a month or two to fully occupy the premises,” the BBA president added.
DELAYED BY 5 YEARS
The construction of the new civil courts complex got delayed by several years even as actual deadline was set for February 2017. In May 2018, the works resumed and progressed at a brisk pace. All the court halls and employees offices are equipped with central air conditioning and this will be the first court complex to have such a facility.