Maharashtra govt to recommend benches of Bombay HC at Pune, Kolhapur

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said that Pune and Kolhapur will soon have benches of the Bombay High Court.

At present the Bombay High Court has three benches in the state: Mumbai, Aurangabad and Nagpur. It also has a bench in Goa.

The decision to set up benches at Pune and Kolhapur will be taken in a cabinet meeting soon and a recommendation will be made to the High Court," Fadnavis said, addressing 9th State Lawyers' Conference organised by the the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa here.

The Chief Minister said that of the total pending cases in the state, 25 per cent are from the five districts of western Maharashtra.

"Out of the total pending cases in western Maharashtra, 50 per cent are from Pune alone and hence there is a demand for separate benches in Pune and Kolhapur," he said.

There was also a proposal to provide land for the Bombay High Court in suburban Bandra in Mumbai, he said. The High Court currently functions from a heritage building in south Mumbai.

"The building will come up in the next three to four years," he said, adding that the need of the hour was for the government and judiciary to work together to ensure speedy development of the state.