Strong judiciary key to strengthening ideals of democracy: Yogi Adityanath

Chandauli (UP), Jan 17 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday asserted that a strong judiciary is crucial for the empowerment of democracy.

Addressing a ceremony where Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant laid the foundation of integrated court complexes for Chandauli, Mahoba, Amethi, Shamli, Hathras, and Auraiya districts, Adityanath said, "For the empowerment of democracy, it is essential that our judiciary is equally strong. The ease with which a common man can access justice, is as important as the infrastructure." The chief minister greeted CJI and other judges present at the ceremony, hailing the occasion as inauguration of "a new chapter of the judiciary" in Uttar Pradesh.

"Any work related to the judiciary undertaken by the Uttar Pradesh government is completed with utmost urgency," he said, asserting that to achieve the aim of good governance, there should be no negligence in further strengthening of judicial services, and the state has made significant progress in that regard.

The chief minister said the six district court complexes are pilot projects for the expansion of the judiciary with the aim that its reaches every citizen.

"Today, there is no shortage of funds, but there is a definite lack of willpower. You work with strong willpower and you will receive full support from the government," he said. Adityanath noted that, during a programme in Prayagraj, CJI Surya Kant had mentioned that for justice to be accessible to every citizen, it is necessary to develop judicial models that are integrated, coordinated, and under one roof.

He thanked the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court for his support and approval for construction of court complexes in 10 Uttar Pradesh districts where the facilities were not available earlier. He said funds had been released for the first phase of the project in six districts.

The design has been approved and all formalities have been completed, with prominent institutions like the L&T set to begin the construction work, the chief minister said, adding that the requisite processes for establishing court complexes in the four other districts will commence soon. "Here, under one roof, there will be courtrooms, chambers for advocates, residences for judicial officers, canteens, parking area, sports facilities, and all necessary amenities," he said, emphasising that the government sought to establish such court complexes in every district.

"There is no shortage of money, and there will be full cooperation from the state government," he added.

According to officials, the construction of court complexes in the six Uttar Pradesh districts is expected to cost around Rs 1,500 crore.

The court complex to be built in Chandauli will cost around Rs 236 crore and will include 37 courtrooms, chambers for advocates, residences for judicial officers, and a residential building for the district judge, a senior official said, adding that the project is expected to be completed by April next year.

Adityanath also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after coming to power in 2014, undertook various reforms to achieve the goals of 'ease of doing business' and 'ease of living'. In Uttar Pradesh too, steps were taken in this direction, by augmenting infrastructure and facilitating relevant processes.

Earlier in the day, Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court Justice Arun Bhansali welcomed CJI Surya Kant by presenting him a memento. Supreme Court judges Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Pankaj Mithal, along with several other prominent personalities, were also present on the occasion. PTI AR NAV ARB ARB