Idukki court complex: HC says process shows sorry state of affairs, red tape

Kochi: A proposal initiated in  1997 to construct a court complex  for trial courts in Idukki district  indicates the “sorry state of affairs” in the state due to “red tape  rules”, the Kerala High Court said  on Tuesday.

The court’s observation came  while directing the state government to ensure that land is allocated within six months, from  receipt of the instant order, for  construction of the court complex  at Idukki.

It also ordered that once the  land is allotted, the competent authority “will take immediate necessary steps to see that the dream of the litigant public, including  the lawyers, advocate clerks etc  are fulfilled and a new court complex is constructed at least within  one year from the date on which  the land is allotted”.

The directions by Justice P V  Kunhikrishnan came while disposing of a plea moved by the  Bar Association of Idukki, challenging the order cancelling allotment of the two acres of land  earmarked for construction of the  judicial complex.

“The issue involved in this case  is the construction of a court  complex for functioning the trial  courts in the Idukki district. The  trial courts are the backbone of  the Indian Judiciary. If there is no  proper infrastructure and proper  atmosphere for the decision makers in the trial courts, that will  be a threat to the justice delivery  system itself. “The present case is  one such case, which will show the  sorry state of affairs as far as the  infrastructure of a court and the  attempt to solve the issue is sabotaged because of red tape rules,”  the high court said.

The association, represented by  advocate George Mathew, had said  in its plea that the Special Court  under POCSO Act, the Judicial  First Class Magistrate’s Court  and the Munsiff Court and the respective offices of the government  pleaders and prosecutors attached  to these courts, were functioning  out of the District Headquarters  at Idukki.

“All the above-mentioned offices are functioning under limited facilities provided in the Civil  Station at Kuyilimala in Idukki.  There arose a need for more facilities and also an independent need  of buildings for courts at District  Headquarters,” the plea had said  and added that as a result the matter was taken up before Idukki Development Authority (IDA) in 1997. The IDA had allotted two acres for  construction of the complex. -(PTI)