UP CM inaugurates advocate chambers, parking building at Allahabad High Court

Prayagraj (UP), May 31 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said that in the rule of law, the litigant is as important as the bar and bench, the UP government said in a statement.

Adityanath addressed a gathering after the inauguration ceremony of advocate chambers and parking building constructed for Rs 680 crore within the Allahabad High Court premises. Chief Justice of India Justice Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai was also present at the event.

Adityanath said, "In the rule of law, the litigant is as important as the bar and bench." During the event, Adityanath recalled the 2017 programme organised at the Allahabad High Court where the prime minister had emphasised that the first condition of good governance is the rule of law, the statement read.

He expressed empathy for advocates, noting that despite working under difficult conditions -- such as broken chambers or even under trees -- they continue to strive for justice.

Highlighting the significance of the day, the chief minister said, "Today marks the 300th birth anniversary of Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar. This year is also the Amrit Mahotsav year of the implementation of the Constitution of India." Adityanath said that once the Integrated Court Complex is constructed, litigants will have access to all judicial services under one roof, including chambers and parking for advocates, as well as housing facilities for judicial officers.

Adityanath also said that although multilevel parking structures have been built, they often remain unused. He urged urban bodies to allow commercial use of some parking space to ensure success.

"At times, either the chief justice or we did not like the proposed designs. Eventually, we instructed the executing agencies to create a model that could serve as a standard. Along with integrated court complexes, provisions for parking and advocate chambers were included." "Of the proposals we submitted, approvals have been received for seven districts from here, and Rs 1,700 crore has already been released for those. Cases of the remaining three districts have also been resolved by the court," he said.

He emphasised that this initiative to build quality complexes will become a model. Both the Centre and state governments are committed to providing maximum facilities at district courts and addressing advocates' challenges.

The chief minister highlighted that the Advocate Fund amount has been increased from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, and the age limit raised from 60 to 70 years. Additionally, a separate corpus fund of Rs 500 crore has been established.

In case of an accident involving an advocate, the trustee committee will utilise this fund to support the affected family. New advocates are also receiving assistance for journals, magazines, and books during their first three years.

Adityanath recalled the successful Maha Kumbh held in Prayagraj, which attracted over 66 crore devotees from across India and abroad. The Allahabad High Court played a significant role in it. He said that if everyone fulfils their responsibilities in line with the spirit of the Constitution envisioned by Baba Saheb, meaningful results can be achieved.

He stated that the multilevel parking and advocate chambers have been constructed excellently. He assured that any funds required for their expansion would be made available soon, enabling even better infrastructure in the land of justice, knowledge, and religion.

On this occasion, Supreme Court judges Justice Suryakant, Justice Vikram Nath, Justice J.K. Maheshwari, Justice Pankaj Mittal, Justice Manoj Mishra, Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court Justice Arun Bhansali, Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, UP Advocate General Ajay Kumar Mishra, and others were present. PTI NAV HIG HIG