Judiciary is one of the three organs of the state. Its functioning is closely related to the physical and environmental conditions in which the judiciary is supposed to work. It has to be remembered that judiciary is a widespread organization reaching smaller towns and localities in various districts of the State. Expansion of judiciary means bringing justice to the doorsteps of the vast population of the country and the state. In recent times, judiciary has assumed much importance in lending enviable support to the concept of good governance. People feel that the system of dispensing justice in the State is a people friendly system.
It is simple logic that judiciary with its vast network in the State should have the necessary infrastructure commensurate with its requirements. For this purpose, the High Court had proposed about 72 items of infrastructure, which various judicial units in the State are badly in need of. This is a comprehensive project that would take care of infrastructural requirements of judicial complexes in cities, towns and various localities in two regions of Jammu and Kashmir. The list of infrastructural units is comprehensive encompassing a number of structures for the High Court Complex, District Court Complexes, Additional District Court Complexes, Munsiff Court Complexes, residential complexes of judicial magistrates, lawyers’ chambers and the rest of it. Judiciary, in true sense of the term, has not to perform only the role of dispensing justice but it has educative and academic role also. The lawyers are the cream of society’s intellectual wealth and if proper environment is created, their role in educating the public on rights and duties in a democratic state can of great value.
In its latest status report released by the High Court, and of which a copy is with us, it is stated that a total of 72 infrastructural projects were suggested. Out of these the fate of 66 is hanging in balance as on February 2, 2016. Out of 66 projects, 29 projects have been facing financial constraints because the Government has not released the required funds despite repeated communications from the High Court. Out of these 29 projects, 15 are in Jammu province and 14 in Kashmir valley.
Two main reasons are given for this situation. One is lackadaisical attitude of the concerned State authorities in releasing funds for undertaking constructional work and the second reason is total apathy of various Government quarters in extending their support and performing their responsibility of seeing to it that the projects are initiated for proper execution.
The judiciary of the world’s largest democracy should have dignified profile from every aspect like performance, standard of dispensation, environmental and infrastructural perfection, reasonably acceptable standard of living of judicial functionaries and security and work facility for their families. We strongly feel that there is the need of improving and expanding the structures and adding new items to make state judiciary very impressive. It is not desirable that judicial magistrates are under constraint in regard to proper accommodation and functional facilities. We hope that the State Government will overcome the bottlenecks in administration that have become a cause for delay in release of funds.
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