Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (RD/SP)
 
Mangalore, Jul 11: The Mangalore Bar Association has urged the state government to set up a High Court circuit bench in the city, for the benefit of litigants from Dakshina Kannada (DK), Udupi, Chikmagalur and Kodagu districts, which form the coastal and Malnad belts of the state.

City Bar Association with over 6000 lawyers in its fold has to cater to the needs of people residing in rural areas, such as agriculturists, daily labourers etc. In view of the fact that several industries are mushrooming in various parts of the district, there has been an upward swing in the number of litigations.  The new industries that are coming up in the fast developing DK and Udupi districts are getting involved with long-drawn litigations over compensations payable to the owners of lands acquired for mega industries. These litigants are poor and cannot afford travel expenses to attend hearings at the High Court located at Bangalore, said S P Chengappa, president of the Bar Association.

The state government, which has already set up the circuit benches of the HC at Dharwad and Gulbarga in north Karnataka, has caused injustice to the people of DK by not releasing sufficient funds to complete the construction of the new court complex here and also by not sanctioning a circuit bench of HC in the city, the City Bar Association stated.

The office-bearers of five bar associations of the district were asked to attend a meeting in the city, in order to devise proper strategies to launch a struggle, demanding a circuit bench of the HC here, S P Chengappa added.

Accordingly, the City Bar Association has urged the state government to release the funds required to complete the construction of the new court complex here at the earliest and to initiate the process of setting up of a HC circuit bench here.