HC wants better deal for judiciary

MUMBAI: There are 19 plots in the city reserved for the development of judicial infrastructure. But 15 years after the reservation, only two plots have been handed over to the state judiciary, and the remaining 17 are "mired in officialdom on one pretext or the other".
Metropolitan courts in Dadar and Vikhroli are housed in dilapidated buildings. For more than 200 judicial officers of the subordinate judiciary in Mumbai, like magistrates and city civil court judges, the judicial department has only 40 residential quarters.
These and other more dismal statements were made by the Bombay high court, in a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL).
The HC recently filed the PIL to address the "lack of essential infrastructural facilities in the subordinate judiciary, which has assumed alarming proportions".
Pointing to the "indifferent attitude of the state towards the genuine and pressing requirements of the judiciary", The PIL, filed through the registrar general of the high court, stated that the manner in which the judicial department was "virtually prevented from utilizing plots reserved" for court buildings and residential quarters to house court officers was a "telling comment on the state of affairs".
On Thursday, a bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice S J Vazifdar asked the state government what it was doing to improve infrastructure for magistrates. The state said it would give its reply.
The PIL has been filed against the state chief secretary as well as the finance, planning and urban development departments.
On the two plots, in Bandra and Goregaon, that have been handed over, the HC also made the civic body a party to the proceedings on Thursday. Clearly concerned that on two plots, in Bandra and Goregaon, have so far been handed over, the HC made the BMC also a party to the proceedings on Thursday.The PIL quoted the Shetty Commission to state that some courts were a "pathetic sight".
It added that the issues of residential accommodation for magistrates and city court judges "was no better" and in fact has "it had taken a turn from bad to worse" the PIL said. Most magistrates and city civil judges have to "fend for themselves", stated the PIL.Quoting the Shetty Commission to state that some courts were a "pathetic site to see," the The issues of residential accomodation for magistrates and city court judges "is no better" and in fact has "taken a turn from bad to worse" the PIL said. Most magistrates and city civil judges have to "fend for themselves".
According to the PIL, some plots reserved for court buildings had been encroached upon and handed over to private developers by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority, while one plot was transferred to the legislative secretariat. "These instances are symptomatic of the indifferent attitude of the state towards needs of the judiciary," the PIL stated.
The situation is grim for cooperative courts, since they are housed in inadequate rented premises. If that was not bad enough, the landlord has obtained a decree for eviction against which an appeal is now pending, stated the PIL.
Proposals for acquisition of land for court buildings were pending for over 13-14 years in Nanded and Nashik. The issue of paucity of furniture and other basic amenities in many court buildings was mentioned in the litigation.
The budgetary needs to meet the infrastructural requirement of the state judiciary was Rs 2000 crore, while annual allocation under the heading "plan" was a meagre Rs 110 crore for the state law department. The HC resolved that it had to file a PIL in the interest of the general public and administration of justice and has done so the first thing this year.
The situation is grim said the HC which last month resolved that it needed to file a PIL in the interest of the general public and administration of justice and has done so the first thing this year.