Chief Justice lays foundation stone of district court complex in Anantnag

Anantnag, Dec 5: Chief Justice of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Tashi Rabstan, laid the foundation stone for a new district court complex in Anantnag on Thursday.

The new facility, located in the Sarnal area, is designed to address the growing demand for judicial infrastructure, incorporating courtrooms, residential facilities, and lawyers’ chambers.

The current court complex faces significant space constraints, making the new project essential for effective judicial functioning.

The foundation-laying ceremony was attended by High Court Justice Vinod Chatterji Koul, the Administrative Judge for Anantnag; Principal District and Sessions Judge Tahir Khurshid, Registrar General Shahzad Azeem; Additional District Sessions Judge Masarat Roohi; Deputy Commissioner Anantnag, Syed Fakhruddin Hamid; judicial and administrative officers .

The members of the Bar Association were also present.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Justice Rabstan emphasised the need for adequate infrastructure to ensure an effective justice delivery system.

“The proposed plan includes ten courts, but given Anantnag’s size and population, there should be provisions for at least fifteen. I urge the executing agency to consider future expansion, and funds will be made available for this,” he said.

He also emphasised on the need for additional chambers. “There should be at least 300 chambers for lawyers. I request the identification of nearby land and preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for this expansion.” Chief Justice said.

He also urged the Public Works Department (PWD), the executing agency, to ensure timely completion of the project.

Administrative Judge, Justice Kaul expressed his gratitude to the Chief justice for laying the foundation stone of the new court complex. Principal District and Sessions Judge Tahir Khurshid underscored the importance of a well-equipped judicial institution.

“The infrastructure is the body of the institution, but the soul comes from judges and lawyers working diligently to deliver justice,” he said.

The project, approved by the Administrative Council (AC) under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, earlier this year is estimated to cost Rs 106.69 crore and will be funded through the UT Capex Budget.