Daijiworld Media Network - Itanagar
Itanagar, Aug 10: Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai on Sunday inaugurated the new building of the Gauhati High Court’s Itanagar Permanent Bench, stating that the judiciary, legislature, and executive all exist to serve the people and ensure speedy, accessible justice.
Advocating for decentralised justice delivery, CJI Gavai said, “Justice must reach the doorsteps of the needy. Our aim is to ensure justice is delivered swiftly, at minimal cost and effort.” He praised successive Chief Justices of the Gauhati High Court for strengthening access to justice in the Northeast.
Gavai also highlighted Arunachal Pradesh’s cultural richness, noting that the state is home to 26 major tribes and over 100 sub-tribes. He said that cultural preservation and national progress can go hand in hand, and the Constitution provides for both. He further added, “Each religion has its own 'dharma granth', but for every Indian, the Constitution is the true granth. Everyone must read it.”
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said the new court building marks a turning point in the state’s justice system. He pointed out that the number of functional courts in the state has increased from two in 2016 to 33 now, and that the Cabinet recently approved eight more courts and 463 new posts.
Khandu noted that construction of the 19,000+ square metre facility began in 2021 after delays due to the pandemic and was completed with an investment of nearly Rs 250 crore. He called it a long-cherished dream of the people of Arunachal.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, also present at the ceremony, stressed the need to further strengthen judicial infrastructure at the grassroots level. He noted that more than 1,500 obsolete colonial-era laws have been scrapped under the Modi government to simplify legal processes.
Other dignitaries in attendance included Supreme Court Justices Ujjal Bhuyan, Sandeep Mehta, N. Kotiswar Singh, Vijay Bishnoi, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, and Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court Ashutosh Kumar.