Agartala: Judiciary must reach out to the poorest of the poor people and weaker section of society, who are not aware about their rights, and give them prompt and proper justice, Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir said on Tuesday.
"To give proper and speedy justice to the people of most weaker section of the society, the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has been constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. In every district in the country, District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) has been constituted to provide legal aids to the needy people," he said after inaugurating the new Tripura High Court.
"We have asked the NALSA that while giving legal aid, priority must be given to the children, women, physically challenged persons, elderly citizens, tribals and Dalits. Rs.1 crore has been given to all the district authorities (DLSA) to perform these works."
The CJI said that each high courts are an umbrella to oversee the proper justice delivery system in the country.
"We should keep in mind that people address us by saying `my lord` - that means, they (people) equate the judges with god. Hence, we must not forget the apt justice of the fellow citizens," he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Tripura High Court`s Chief Justice Deepak Gupta, who assumed office Saturday, said: "Rule of law always strengthen the democracy everywhere. Establishing rule of law, high courts played a vital role. Democratic systems are incomplete without high courts."
"Courts must not only give justice to the people, they should aware the people, specially those are uneducated and hapless, about their rights. Judiciary always transmits blood to the democracy," he said.
He asked the fellow judges to have zero tolerance to corruption.
In his address, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar praised the role of the judiciary in curbing corruption in India.
"Supreme Court, some high courts and CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General of India) have taken many most significant roles in recent past to curb the colossal corruptions in India," he said.
The inaugural function was also attended by Supreme Court judge Aftab Alam, Gauhati High Court Chief Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, state law minister Tapan Chakraborty and other judges of the Tripura High Court.
With the inauguration of the Tripura High Court, a three-decades old struggle for an independent high court has been ended.
With this, the total number of high courts in the country increased from 21 to 24.
Justice Kabir had inaugurated the Meghalaya High Court and the Manipur High Court Monday.
The seven northeastern states -- Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh -- have earlier been under the Gauhati High Court with benches in the respective state capitals. Sikkim had a separate high court.
IANS
