Advocates in the Nilgiris staged a fast protest at the Combined Court Complex in Udhagamandalam on Thursday, demanding access roads to the court complex, transportation facilities for the public, basic amenities, and allocation of advocates’ chambers.
They stated that when plans were made to shift the courts to the Combined Court Complex in Kakkathope in the outskirts of Udhagamandalam, the judiciary had assured that roads would be laid, public transport increased, and that basic amenities such as water, electricity, and internet facilities would be provided inside the court complex. However, even eight months since the complex was inaugurated, the advocates alleged that the facilities remained unavailable.
In their resolution, the Nilgiris District Bar Association (Udhagamandalam), stated that they were not against the shifting of the courts to the newly constructed complex. “But, their concerted voice is that the aforesaid basic and essential provisions are required to be accomplished as per the assurance before holding any sittings at the Combined Court Complex,” it stated.
The members of the Nilgiris District Bar Association passed a resolution to request the district judge-cum-chief judicial magistrate of the Nilgiris district to not hold any court sittings at the newly constructed court complex without ensuring that “the court complex is freely accessible from the arterial municipal roads by clearing tree logs spread along the approach road and reinforcing the access road for the time being.”
They also wanted public transport to be made available in the form of circuit and town buses connecting the court complex to Udhagamandalam town at frequent intervals. The advocates demanded basic amenities were made available and that rooms earmarked as Advocates’ Chambers be allotted to members of the Bar.
Present at the protest was P. Chandrabose, President of the Nilgiris District Bar Association as well as other members of the Bar and office-bearers.
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