Krishna seeks CJ's views on High Court Bench

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, DEC. 13. The Chief Minister, Mr. S.M. Krishna, has once again written to the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court on the establishment of a High Court Bench to serve the northern districts of the State.

The Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. D.B. Chandre Gowda, told presspersons here on Wednesday that the Government was ready for discussions on the sensitive matter of setting up a High Court Bench. It was committed to establishing a Bench of the court although it had an open mind on the location, he said.

Referring to the recent directives of the High Court on staff shortage in the lower courts in Mysore District, the Law Minister said the Government had written to the High Court on the ways of solving the problem. There were two options, and it was for the court to decide.

Should the Government opt for recruitment of personnel for the Mysore courts, it would take time for the vacancies to be filled. On the other hand, the Government had suggested that the vacancies be filled by deputation of personnel from the other departments. There were 140 vacancies in the Mysore courts and another 600 vacancies in the other courts. The Government had also suggested that retired court officers be employed in the Mysore courts on a contract basis.

On the functioning of the Special Court in Mysore to dispose of the TADA cases against 121 suspected associates of the forest brigand, Veerappan, Mr. Chandre Gowda said the Government had set up the court for the speedy trial of the cases, and the High Court had appointed a Special Judge. The Special Court would hold daily sittings to ensure that the pending cases were disposed of quickly. The court was yet to commence its sittings owing to shortage of personnel. While 70 of the TADA detenus were already on bail, 51 others had been languishing in the Mysore jails for over seven years.

On the sensitive issue pertaining to the Dattatreya Peeta- Bababudangiri Dargah, the Law Minister said two high-power committees had been appointed, and a solution to the problem would be found. A 21-member committee appointed under the chairmanship of the Deputy Commissioner of Chikmagalur would go into the administrative problems at the place, and resolve the matter. The Government had, however, made it clear that the Dattatreya Peeta was under the jurisdiction of the Endowments Department based on the directives of the High Court. The committee would comprise 10 Muslims and 10 Hindus, he added.

The other committee would be headed by the Minister in charge of the District (Mr. Chandre Gowda), and it would go into the overall development of Bababudangiri. The committee would comprise the ministers, MPs and legislators of Chikmagalur District.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Central intervention sought to end plantation
           crisis
Next     : More tremors in Idukki, Kottayam districts