Judges miffed with state for not inadequate housing

The Karnataka High Court today slammed the state government for its inability to provide adequate housing facilities to judges and buildings for courts, saying this was the duty of the government and “we need not beg for it”.

“It is the duty of the state government to provide housing facilities for the judges. We need not beg for it,” the court said during the hearing of a PIL petition challenging allocation of playground for construction of a housing colony for judges.

Rapping the Chief Secretary for non-submission of report by the five-member committee constituted for the purpose of providing alternative land for the judges’ colony, Chief Justice J S Khehar observed: “It is shameful that 108 courts in the state are functioning in private buildings”. While, crores are spent by government on rents, housing facilities were not provided to the judges, he said.

Citing the example of a court in the state, which is functioning in a hotel building, the chief justice observed that though several plans had been sanctioned by the government for construction of court buildings, commensurate funds had bot been released.

Justice Khehar, heading a division bench comprising Justice A S Bopanna, also observed that construction of some court buildings had been left half way, which is not only affecting the structure but also resulting in wastage of funds. He directed Advocate General Ashok Haranahally to make arrangements for providing own buildings for courts by March 2011 and release funds as soon as possible for the completion of half-constructed buildings and submit a report on the all concerned issues by November 18.

In 2008, a city-based advocate A V Amarnatha had filed the PIL challenging the grant of 8.5 acres of playground in HSR layout in the city for construction of a housing colony for judges. Subsequently, the High Court granted a stay on the matter. When the matter came up for hearing on September 14, the court constituted a committee comprising of the chief secretary, principal secretary — housing & urban development, Bangalore Development Authority commissioner and commissioner for the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) or Greater Bangalore City Corporation to look into alternative land for the judges’ housing colony and directed the committee to submit a report by October 18. The bench then adjourned the hearing to November 18.