Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 7: For the first time, a uniform prototype for the future judicial infrastructure is being prepared in Jammu and Kashmir in order to check variation in the project costs and ensure timely sanction and release of funds. This uniform model would be designed in such a manner that there will not be requirement of any alteration in the infrastructure during the next 20 to 25 years.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that for creation of judicial infrastructure like court buildings, lawyers chambers and residential quarters, 75 percent funds are provided by the Union Government and 25 per cent expenditure is to be borne by the State Government. Whenever the High Court asks for the creation of the judicial infrastructure, the Law Department gets the proposal vetted from the Engineering Department before submitting the same to the Planning and Development Department.
During the past quite long time, the Planning and Development Department was questioning the variation in the costs of the similar projects of judicial infrastructure for different districts and this was resulting into delay in release of funds and subsequent delay in the creation of infrastructure, sources said.
“It has been observed by the Planning Department that project cost of an infrastructure in one district is much more than the similar infrastructure in other parts of the State”, they said while disclosing that in order to check this practice the Planning and Development Department was repeatedly laying thrust on preparation of uniform prototype of judicial infrastructure.
The delay in release of funds due to variation in project costs also came to the notice of the High Court through a Public Interest Litigation seeking immediate release of funds for the construction of District Court Complex at Samba, sources said. “In the PIL, the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice M M Kumar and Justice Hasnain Massodi issued an interim direction vis-à-vis preparing uniform prototype to meet the requirement of judicial infrastructure during next 20 to 25 years”.
In the recent past, the issue was discussed between Chief Justice and Law Minister and accordingly a committee comprising Registrar General of High Court, Law Secretary, Chief Engineer R&B Department, Chief Architect, Chief Town Planner and Managing Director, Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation, was constituted to come up with a prototype of judicial infrastructure.
In the meeting of committee held few days back, it was decided that Registrar General would work out requirements of a District Court, Munsiff Court, Sub-Judge Court besides residential quarters and lawyers chambers along with the dimensions of the courts and other vital infrastructure. Accordingly, the basic cost of each infrastructure would be worked out and submitted to the Planning and Development Department.
“This uniform prototype of the judicial infrastructure would be designed in such a manner that there will not be requirement of any alteration in the infrastructure during next 20 to 25 years”, sources said, adding “this step would not only check delay in release of funds but also variation in the project costs”.
In response to a question, they said, “though minor variation in the project costs on account of topographical conditions and remoteness of the area is justified but variation of several crores of rupees was really an issue to be sorted out”.
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