The Hindu : Karnataka News : Chief Justice's announcement on Circuit Benches expected today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 18, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Chief Justice's announcement on Circuit Benches expected today

By Our Special Correspondent

YANAGUNDI (GULBARGA DISTRICT), OCT. 17. The Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, today gave a positive hint about the announcement of setting up of two Circuit Benches of the Karnataka High Court in Hubli-Dharwad and Gulbarga on Monday by the Chief Justice, N.K. Jain.

Mr. Singh, who was here to pay his obeisance to Mathe Manikeshwari at her abode in the hillock in this pilgrimage centre, told presspersons that the Chief Justice, who would be laying down his office on Monday, was likely to make an announcement on the establishment of the Circuit Benches.

Mr. Singh said the State Government had fulfilled all the requirements for the establishment of the Circuit Benches in Hubli-Dharwad and Gulbarga as specified by the High Court.

In Gulbarga, the Circuit Bench was likely to be established at the Divisional Commissioner's office, which had been closed down, and the adjacent Divisional Commissioner's residence inside the Iwan-e-Shahi Government Guest House.

The Chief Minister said there was no change in the stand of the State Government that a permanent Bench of the High Court should be established in North Karnataka to fulfil the long-pending demand of the region. Even the Union Law Minister, H.L. Bharadwaj, had favoured a Bench in North Karnataka. However, the final decision was left to the Chief Justice, he said.

Naxalite issue

Mr. Singh said there was no ambiguity or change in the stand of the State Government in tackling the Naxalite problem in the State. The Government was ready to hold talks with the Naxalites or their representatives. But the Government would take appropriate action if the naxalites defied the law or posed a threat to the life and property of the public.

He said that it was not proper for Naxalites to indulge in unlawful activities such as abducting a police constable and taking away a weapon from him, when the State Government had extended an open invitation to hold talks with them on all issues raised by them.

"The State Government continues to consider the naxalite problem as a socio-economic issues and will solve all issues raised by them, including the problems faced by the tribal people living in the Kudremukh National Park in Chikmagalur," he added.

Mr. Singh said the Government had prepared an action plan to rehabilitate the evacuees from the National Park and attend to other problems faced by the people living in forests.

Expansion

Mr. Singh said the much-awaited expansion of the Cabinet would take place soon. He told presspersons that he held one round of discussions with the Janata Dal (Secular) President, H.D. Deve Gowda, on Saturday. He would meet him again in a day or two to finalise the list of aspirants from both the parties.

Long wait

Mr. Dharam Singh, who was here to meet Mathe Manikeshwari, a revered sanyasin living in a cave atop a hillock, had to wait for more than five hours.

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