'Decision on setting up bench based on HC recommendations'

Any decision on setting up of a bench of the high court at Kolhapur or any other place would depend on recommendations of the high court concerned, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said today.

Any initiative by the Centre in this regard is not proper, he said.

Replying to a query on setting up of the Kolhapur bench of the Bombay High Court during the Question Hour, Prasad said benches whether in Kolhapur or Gujarat cannot be set up without recommendations of the high court and Supreme Court.

"In accordance with recommendations made by the Jaswant Singh Commission and judgement pronounced by the Apex Court... benches of the high court are established after due consideration of a complete proposal from the state government which is to provide infrastructure and meet the expenditure," Prasad said.

This should be along with the consent of the Chief Justice of the high court concerned, which is required to look after the day-to-day administration of the high court and its bench, he said.

The proposal should also have the consent of the Governor of the state concerned, he said and added that at present there is no proposal from the state Government of Maharashtra for establishing a bench of the Bombay High Court at Kolhapur.