J&K still needs to arrange over Rs 900 cr for mega project
22 laws to be amended in Ladakh with MHA consent
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 21: The Union Territory of Ladakh has agreed to provide around Rs 20 crore to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir as its share for the construction of new High Court Complex at Raika in the outskirts of Jammu city. Despite this, the J&K Government still needs to arrange more than Rs 900 crore in order to translate the mega project into reality.
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Vide Letter No. Law-Plg/164/2022-12 dated November 26, 2024, the J&K Government had asked the administration of the Union Territory of Ladakh to provide funds for the construction of new High Court Complex at Raika in Jammu.
In the communication, it was mentioned that J&K UT is already funding ongoing construction of new High Court Complex at Bemina in Srinagar and High Court being the common for both the Union Territories, Ladakh administration should provide funds for new High Court Complex at Jammu.
“The communication of J&K UT was discussed with the concerned authorities in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and accordingly a decision was taken that Ladakh will provide its share for the construction of new High Court Complex at Jammu”, official sources in the Law and Justice Department of the Ladakh told EXCELSIOR, adding “the amount of around Rs 20 crore has been worked out based on the population of Ladakh and litigations of the Union Territory in the common High Court”.
When contacted, Chief Secretary of Ladakh Union Territory Dr Pawan Kotwal confirmed the decision about providing around Rs 20 crore to the J&K UT for the construction of new High Court Complex at Jammu. “We are committed to pay our share based on the population ratio”, he added.
“However, even after this the J&K Government needs to arrange more than Rs 900 crore in order to give practical shape to the mega project as in the proposal technically vetted by Secretary Technical of the Public Works Department of J&K UT the initial cost of the project has been worked out at Rs 921.79 crore, which may go up further in case of more delay in start of the work because of escalation in the cost of the construction material”.
It is pertinent to mention here that the foundation stone of the mega project was laid by the then Chief Justice of India Dr Justice D Y Chandrachud in the presence of Lieutenant Governors of J&K and Ladakh Union Territories and Judges of the Supreme Court and J&K and Ladakh High Court on June 28, 2023.
The project was conceptualized as the existing campus of the High Court Jammu Wing is in a decrepit state and suffers on various factors. At the foundation stone laying ceremony, it was revealed that the new campus will have all multi-disciplinary facilities for an effective judicial eco-system.
Meanwhile, with the consent of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ladakh Union Territory administration is in the process of preparing notes for carrying out amendments in more than 22 laws of erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir, which were adapted as per the provisions of the J&K Reorganization Act.
“The amendments are required to be carried out because of various factors and local constraints of cold desert region and all the concerned departments of Ladakh UT are currently busy in holding deliberations to work out changes”, sources said, adding “after the completion of this lengthy exercise the deliberations will be held with the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh and thereafter proposals will be sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs for approval and issuance of necessary notifications”.
They disclosed that the necessity to carry out amendments was felt by the Ladakh administration while implementing these laws of erstwhile State of J&K and accordingly consent of Ministry of Home Affairs was taken for preparation of notes for bringing changes.
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