Jalpaiguri circuit bench of Calcutta HC becomes operational

The Jalpaiguri circuit bench of the Calcutta High Court was "operationalised" here on Saturday in presence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a month after being inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi which she had taken exception to.

The prime minister had inaugurated the Jalpaiguri circuit bench on February 8, triggering a prompt reaction by Banerjee, who claimed that her government as well as the high court were kept in the dark about the development.

"The land is ours, circuit bench is of the high court. Neither the groom nor the bride is there but the bandwala has come," she had said.

At the programme on Saturday organised by the Calcutta High Court administration, Governor K N Tripathi unveiled the plaque of the circuit bench in the presence of Banerjee, Acting Chief Justice of the high court Biswanath Somadder and 31 other judges.

At the programme, the chief minister said she did not "want to go into any controversy on this auspicious occasion."
While inaugurating the circuit bench on February 8 he had said despite the sanction given by the Union Cabinet 13 to 14 years ago, "the insensitive government in the state has not been able to start the circuit bench for so long."