Give infrastructure and staff to judiciary to clear pending cases: Bombay high court

The Maharashtra government should realise that if it cannot support its own judiciary by giving infrastructure and staff, then it will not be able to obtain early disposal of cases and pending matters, the Bombay high court has observed.

The observation came from a bench of justices SC Dharmadhikari and BP Colabawalla, who were hearing a petition filed by Sales Tax Tribunal Bar Association urging for infrastructure and staff for the judiciary.

"Just as a police station and other government authorities require support and care from the state in this regard, equally, the judiciary must be on the map and we hope there will be a change in the mindset and our intervention will be minimal hereafter," said the bench.

The judges also noted that they were glad to know that a proposal for redevelopment of the sprawling Bandra Government Colony at suburban Bandra east in Mumbai is under the active consideration of the state authorities.

The high court also advised the state government to consider whether it should moot a proposal for construction of flats and tenements for housing government employees in service, particularly on such land which are declared as excess vacant land and are vesting in the state.

"This court has passed several judgements and orders resulting in these excess vacant lands being saved from the clutches of litigation. Now, vast tract of land is available," the bench remarked recently.

"The state must consider the proposal now mooted during the course of arguments that government buildings can come up on these surplus vacant land which vest in the state and possession of which is already taken over," said the bench.

Such surplus vacant lands are situated from Bandra towards Borivali on Western suburban railway line in Mumbai, the judges said and hoped that this aspect would be considered by the state government.

The HC was of the opinion that if prompt service is the motto, then the government must look after its employees.

"We hope and trust that human resources development policies as prevalent in private sector are also present to the mind of the state and they would consider appropriate proposal so that the employees are encouraged to work and put in extra hours, as well," said the judges.