PUDUCHERRY: The Puducherry government has urged the Centre to establish a bench of the High Court in the Union territory.
Puducherry Law Minister K Lakshminarayanan called on Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju in New Delhi recently and submitted a memorandum seeking the setting up of a bench of the Madras High Court in Puducherry.
With over 4000 cases pending (2728 cases in 2020) before the High Court, which includes 2242 civil cases, 294 criminal cases and 1992 service cases, establishing a High Court in Puducherry has become essential, said Lakshminarayanan. Even going for appeals in the Madras High Court is difficult. “The Union Minister was very positive and has promised to take it up with the Prime Minister and Home Minister,” said Lakshminarayanan.
Further he took up with the Union minister the creation of posts for establishing seven new subordinate courts in Puducherry. Already the Law Ministry has agreed in principle for establishment of the courts, he said. Among them are a CBI court, fast track court for POCSO cases, a separate court to deal with land acquisition, fast track court for women and children cases, Lok Adalat and District Legal Service Authority and a Judicial Magistrate Court in Yanam region. Establishing these courts requires the creation of 29 posts of additional judges and over 100 other posts, he said.
At present, there is pendency of over 33,470 cases in various subordinate courts in Puducherry. This is because the same judge is having to adjudicate various types of cases. The creation of these new courts will ease the situation, he said. Besides it will open up employment opportunities for youths of Puducherry, he said.