The Andhra Pradesh state administration has begun following Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s agenda of establishing a High Court bench in Kurnool. The decision was taken in view of the demands of the public and is expected to enhance the accessibility of justice for the people living in Rayalaseema. The above actions have been initiated by the Law Secretary, Sunitha, who has written a letter to the Registrar General of the High Court for the collection of certain information without which the bench cannot be set up.
Details Sought for Bench Formation
The Law Secretary’s letter emphasizes the need for detailed data on cases originating from the four districts of Rayalaseema: Kurnool, Kadapa, Anantapur, and Chittoor. Under existing rules, the High Court must have filed a third of its cases from these districts to warrant establishing a regional division. The letter also called for information on cases that had been pending for more than two or three years in this area.
Also, there is an enormous emphasis on the population of Rayalaseema is huge and consists of 1.59 crore people which is 25 percent of the total population of 4.95 crore people of the state. The foregoing demographic and caseload data is quite relevant for the further progression of this proposal.
Challenges Highlighted by the Government
As mentioned before, there are sizable practical issues that Rayalaseema people have encountered in reaching the current High Court. Lack of access to transportation to and from the Rayalaseema region to the capital city has been identified as being a major hindering factor to justice. It is claimed that the establishment of a High Court bench in Kurnool will help to somehow solve this problem and bring the judicial system nearer to the population of the region.
The government also referred to earlier such instances when High Court benches have been set up in seven other states in India to handle such issues.
Government’s Commitment to the Promise
This can be recalled that in the recent review of the Department of Justice, a meeting presided by Chief Minister Sri N Chandrababu Naidu affirmed the promise the state government made to the people of creating a High Court bench. He was to move a resolution in the Cabinet meeting and to send the same to the Centre for its consideration.
Naidu also gave an assurance of other similar agendas including, offering cash bailouts to junior lawyers in the region. Under this exercise, junior lawyers will be paid ₹ 10,000 per month which the organization perceives will boost their career and help to overcome financial hurdles.
Efforts to Expedite the Process
The Chief Minister’s Office has gone out of its way by instructing the law department to initiate the initial processes. The process was further moved forward when the CM instructed Law Secretary Sunitha to liaise with the High Court Registrar General. He has also requested the officials to apply comparable scrutiny on other proposed data that is contained in the pending cases.
The government believes that setting up the new bench will effectively benefit Rayalaseema as it will reduce the traveling time of the litigants and lawyers besides accelerating the cases disposal and the improvement of judicial facilities.
Focus on Regional Development and Justice Accessibility
This action means that the Andhra Pradesh government is following its vision of ensuring balanced development across the country. Thus, indirectly the proposed High Court bench will certainly be of immense benefit to the Rayalaseema region which is long considered to have been lagging behind other regions of the current state. The decentralization of judicial services is targeted to extend services around the nation and to correct the injustice delivery system imbalances experienced in different parts of the country.
The Road Ahead
Even as the state government has begun this process, it is the Centre that gives its nod for the setting up of a High Court bench. The data provided in the resolution of the state will play an important role in making the central government realize the importance of the bench. The proposal is also consistent with the development of regional benches to enhance the delivery of justice throughout India.
During this process, however, the major concern will be effective coordination and the management of all possible issues as the process shifts from one stage to another. The outcome of legal education reform will be crafted by various stakeholders mainly the judiciary, the legal fraternity, and the public..
Conclusion
The setting up of a High Court bench at Kurnool is seen as a step towards addressing the long-standing desire of the Rayalaseema region. Challenges in the areas of legal, logistical, and demographic are, therefore, targeted to be addressed by the initiative to improve justice delivery and equality. Under the strong leadership of the Chief Minister, Sri N Chandrababu Naidu, and with the help of an efficient legal team the government has taken measures that can help realize this vision soon.
