KISHTWAR/ Doda : Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court, Justice Gita Mittal today visited District Court Complex Kishtwar and inspected the courts of Principal District and Sessions Judge Kishtwar, Chief Judicial Magistrate (Sub-Judge) Kishtwar and Munsiff (JMIC) Kishtwar.
Chief Justice was accompanied by Principal Secretary to the Chief Justice and Officiating Registrar General, High Court of J&K Jawad Ahmad and other officials.
She inspected various sections of the court complex and reviewed working and the infrastructure availability in the District court complex.
Judges of the subordinate courts, advocates and other members of Bar Association apprised her of the various demands and issues like establishment of Anti-corruption Court, Consumer Forum/Court, Ladies Bar and Ladies Toilets, Camp Courts at Paddar, non availability of complex hall for the new practioners, no accommodation facility for writers and stamp paper dealers, absence of toilet facilities for women litigants in the court complex among others.
They demanded that the powers of the Anti-corruption Court be vested in the Principle District and Session Judge, Kishtwar as the same will not involve any expenditure or creation of infrastructure.
While interacting with Judges of the subordinate courts, advocates and other members of legal fraternity, she assured them that their genuine demands will be redressed in a time bound manner and asked them for submitting the charter of demands in her office so that the impediments in the dispensation of the justice could be mitigated at the earliest.
She hoped that Judicial Officers will continue to discharge their professional duties with the same zeal, enthusiasm and commitment.
Role of Legal Services Authorities in dispensation of justice in this far flung mountainous area was highly appreciated by the Chief Justice.
Chief Justice also visited Doda district and reviewed the functioning of Courts besides interacting with lawyers and Judicial Officers of the district.
Chief Justice had a detailed review of functioning of the established courts besides inspecting the court rooms at Doda and Bhaderwah.
Chief Justice, while interacting with the lawyers, took stock of their grievances including speedy completion of the lawyers chamber building, installation of a lift in the court complex of Doda, fixing responsibility of maintenance of the newly constructed buildings on permanent basis, provision of requisite man power to carry out cleanliness in and around the court complex of Doda, construction of concrete structure of litigant waiting shed and allied issues.
Responding to issue of maintenance and cleanliness of the court buildings and toilets, Chief Justice directed the DDC to outsource/depute requisite manpower to ensure cleanliness of the buildings and toilets and its surrounding twice a day.
Regarding completion of under construction lawyers chamber building, Chief Justice directed the executing agencies to expedite the work and complete the building in a time bound manner.
Chief Justice also directed the DDC to ensure construction of concrete litigant structure in place of the fabricated besides asking the Judicial Officers to ensure provision of separate toilet facility for female staff as well as for litigants.
Chief Justice assured the members of Bar Association that their issues will be taken into consideration with utmost priority.
Regarding resumption of Court work, Chief Justice said since the district is in green zone and the district courts are empowered to take the final call in coordination with the Bar Association members in this regard. She also asked them to follow all necessary preventive protocols and guidelines regarding COVID-19 while resuming the court work besides asking them to resume the functioning without allowing the litigants.
Chief Justice also emphasised optimum use of innovative ways in justice dispensation during the ongoing crisis of COVID-19 and also directed the judges to work with zeal and enthusiasm in clearing the pendency of cases in the district.
