Gauhati HC Bar to abstain from foundation stone laying event of new court complex

Guwahati, Jan 7 (PTI) The Gauhati High Court Bar Association on Wednesday announced to abstain from the foundation stone laying ceremony of the new high court complex and said its members will observe a hunger strike on the day to oppose the move.

A new complex of the Gauhati High Court has been proposed as part of a judicial township at Rangmahal in North Guwahati, and Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, is scheduled to lay the foundation stone of it on January 11.

"The General Body, after due deliberation, has reiterated and reaffirmed its consistent stand, as reflected in earlier resolutions and the referendum conducted by the Association, opposing the proposed shifting of the Principal Seat of the Hon'ble Gauhati High Court from its present location," Gauhati High Court Bar Association (GHCBA) said in a statement.

The Bar had an emergent Extra-Ordinary General meeting held on Tuesday in connection with the construction of the new high court building.

"The Association has decided to abstain from participating in the proposed foundation stone laying ceremony. All learned members of the Bar are earnestly appealed to and respectfully requested to kindly honour and adhere to the collective decision of the General Body," the statement said.

The GHCBA asked its members to refrain from attending or participating in the said programme in any manner whatsoever, in the interest of maintaining unity, discipline and institutional dignity.

"Further, as a peaceful and democratic expression of its considered stand, the Gauhati High Court Bar Association shall observe a peaceful hunger strike... The Association also considers it appropriate to clarify that adherence to resolutions adopted by the General Body forms an essential part of institutional discipline," it added.

The members of the Bar will take part in the hunger strike on Thursday, Friday and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm in front of the old building of the Gauhati High Court, the release said.

The GHCBA has been vehemently opposing the relocation of the high court complex to the northern bank of the Brahmaputra from the existing place at the heart of the Guwahati city.

The government is planning to construct the new judicial township at Rangmahal, spread across 129 bighas (over 42.5 acres) of land.

In November last year, the state cabinet had approved Rs 479 crore in the first phase to construct a judicial township in North Guwahati.

Earlier, GHCBA had demanded an immediate halt to the project in the interest of all stakeholders and the public at large.

The Gauhati High Court is presently located in the Uzan Bazar area of central Guwahati on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra. It has a historical building, while a state-of-the-art multi-crore modern multi-storey structure was constructed and inaugurated a few years ago.

Both the buildings are located face-to-face on two sides of Mahatma Gandhi Road and are connected through an underground tunnel, having escalator facilities.

The Assam government is seeking to develop the riverfront of the Brahmaputra, for which it requires to acquire the high court land. PTI TR TR RG