Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (TP)

Udupi, Aug 19: A meeting will be held in Udupi on August 22 to chalk out a united movement seeking the establishment of a Karnataka high court circuit bench in the coastal region, catering to Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada districts.

The meeting has been organized by ‘U-Act’ and the coastal high court bench agitation committee at 3 pm on August 22 at Ravindra Mantapa, MGM College, Udupi.

Addressing a press conference in Udupi, committee founder and advocate Prem Prasad Shetty said the meeting would discuss the long-standing need for a high court bench in the coastal region and formulate a collective demand to be placed before the state government.

Representatives of various organizations representing different sections of society are expected to participate in the meeting. These include bar associations, social organizations, business bodies, student organizations, labour unions, ex-servicemen’s associations, auto-rickshaw drivers and various employees’ unions.

Prem Prasad Shetty pointed out that people from the coastal districts often have to travel 900 to 1,000 km or more to Bengaluru to pursue cases before the high court. The difficulties are particularly severe during the monsoon, when travel through the ghat sections becomes challenging, resulting in considerable expenditure of time and money for litigants, women and the general public.

Prem Prasad Shetty said the establishment of a High Court bench in the coastal region would enable people to access justice more quickly and at a lower cost. It would also facilitate local legal remedies for several issues concerning the environment, land disputes, Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) matters, senior citizens, women and the general public.

According to Prem Prasad Shetty, a high court bench in the coastal region would also help make the administrative system more responsive and contribute to the overall development of the coastal districts.

The organizers have urged representatives of all sections of society and concerned organizations to participate in the August 22 meeting and extend their support to the long-pending demand.

The press conference was attended by Paurnami Prem, Vijay D’Souza, Madhav Kamath, Saritha and Suresh Kamath.