GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court Bar Association has sought clarification from Assam law minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass on his statement, made in the Assam Assembly, regarding the government’s decision to shift the Gauhati High Court and other courts and tribunals in Kamrup (Metropolitan) district to North Guwahati.
“We are shocked by such a statement made by the law minister in the Assam Assembly on Tuesday, which is contrary to the assurance given by Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to the representatives of the association,” the association stated on Wednesday.
“The statement of the law minister also indicates that the stand of the state government has been communicated to the association. The association states with dismay that it has not been communicated with any such decision of the state government regarding shifting of the High Court. The association therefore demands that the law minister shall clarify this matter in the Assembly itself at the earliest,” it said.
The association further stated that it had taken note of the minister’s statement as reported in the media. The decision to relocate the High Court and other courts to Rangmahal in North Guwahati was made with the intention of providing adequate space, seating arrangements, a library for lawyers, and a parking area for vehicles.
It is worth recalling that the association had submitted a memorandum to the chief minister last year and had organized a sit-in demonstration opposing the decision to shift the High Court. Other lawyer associations in the city, along with some NGOs, also expressed their opposition to the relocation.
Subsequently, representatives of the association met with the chief minister at his office on September 30, 2023. During the meeting, they were informed that a ground study would be conducted to determine the travel time from the High Court to Rangmahal, once the bridge connecting North Guwahati and Guwahati was completed. Only if a short travel time was confirmed would the process of land acquisition commence.
According to reports, approximately 250 bighas of land would be needed to establish the High Court, posing a challenge for acquisition in the Rangmahal area.
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“Further, the central government has to sanction funds for acquisition of land as the state was short of funds, and nothing has been budgeted by the state for the project. These are all uncertain factors. It may take 20 years to materialise such a project and it would have no effect on the present generation of lawyers. This was reported in the newspapers and media channels and there was no contradiction from the government,” the association stated.