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CoM may allocate adl funds to judiciary, CS tells HC
Shimla, May 20
The ongoing standoff between the Himachal Pradesh judiciary and the state government over shortage of funds for the functioning of courts might soon be resolved, with the Council of Ministers likely to take up the issue in the coming days.
The assurance came before a Division Bench of the Himachal Pradesh High Court comprising Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Bipin Chandra Negi during the hearing of a suo motu public interest litigation concerning inadequate financial allocation to the judiciary.
Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta, who was summoned by the court during the previous hearing, appeared in person and informed the bench that a meeting of the Council of Ministers was likely to take place within a couple of days. He expressed hope that the issue relating to judicial funding would be resolved “at the highest level.”
Advocate General Anup Ratna also assured the court that he would personally request the Cabinet to consider the matter.
Taking note of the submissions, the court adjourned the proceedings to June 18 with the “sanguine hope” that the issue would be settled.
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The bench also directed the Chief Secretary to file a composite affidavit dealing with the concerns raised in earlier orders.
The matter assumes significance as the High Court had recently made strong observations against the state government for allegedly neglecting judicial infrastructure and failing to allocate adequate funds for the appointment of judges and court staff.
The court had remarked that while the government was willing to allocate substantial funds to departments linked with electoral considerations, the judiciary continued to face financial constraints.
The hearing also coincided with recent advisories on austerity measures, including directions encouraging fuel conservation and work-from-home arrangements in parts of the judicial system.
The High Court had earlier observed that the lack of funds was affecting the functioning of courts and delaying expansion of judicial infrastructure across the state.
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