Bangalore: Karnataka High Court on Tuesday slammed
the state government for its inability to provide adequate
housing facilities to judges and buildings for courts, saying
this the duty of the government and "we need not beg for it".
"It is the duty of the state government to provide
housing facilities for the judges. We need not beg for it,"
the court said during the hearing of a PIL petition
challenging allocation of playground for construction of a
housing colony for judges.
Rapping the Chief Secretary for non-submission of report
by the five-member committee constituted for the purpose of
providing alternative land for the judges` colony, Chief
Justice J S Khehar observed: "It is shameful that 108 courts
in the state are functioning in private buildings".
While, crores of rupees are spent by government on
rents, housing facilities were not provided to the judges, he
said.
Citing the example of a court in the state, which is
functioning in a hotel building, the Chief Justice observed
that though several plans had been sanctioned by the
government for construction of court buildings, commensurate
funds had bot been released.
Justice Khehar, heading a division bench comprising
Justice A S Bopanna, also observed that construction of some
court buildings had been left half way, which is not only
affecting the structure but also resulting in wastage of
funds.
He directed Advocate General Ashok Haranahally to make
arrangements for providing own buildings for courts by March
2011 and release funds as soon as possible for the completion
of half constructed buildings and submit a report on the all
concerned issues by November 18.
In 2008, a city-based advocate A V Amarnatha had filed
the PIL challenging the grant of 8.5 acres of playground in
HSR layout in the city for construction of housing colony for
judges. Subsequently, High Court granted a stay on the matter.
When the matter came up for hearing on September 14, the
court constituted a committee comprising Chief Secretary,
Principal Secretary Housing & Urban Development, Bangalore
Development Authority Commissioner and Commissioner for Bruhat
Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to look into alternative
land for the judges` housing colony and directed the committee
to submit a report by October 18.
The bench then adjourned the hearing to November 18.
PTI
