MAKING A POINT: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy at a press conference near Dharwad on Monday. Law Minister Basavaraj S. Horatti is with him.

DHARWAD: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has told the Hubli lawyers that if they can convince the Chief Justice of the High Court of Karnataka about the need for changing the location of the Circuit Bench, then the Government would have no problem considering it.

The Chief Minister met the lawyers before inspecting the Water and Land Management Institute (WALMI) near Dharwad where the Bench is to be set up.

He also asked for records regarding the statement of the then Chief Justice of the High Court N.K. Jain.

C.R. Patil, president of the High Court Peetha Horata Samiti, R.G. Kodli, president of the Hubli Bar Association, presented their views before the Chief Minister, who was accompanied by Basavaraj S. Horatti, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, and Jagadish Shettar, Revenue Minister.

The Chief Minister promised to get for the Hubli lawyers an appointment with the Chief Justice of the High Court in this regard. He also asked them to withdraw their agitation.

Speaking to presspersons after inspecting the WALMI premises, Mr. Kumaraswamy said the tender process, which had begun with regard to construction of the Circuit Bench building, would continue.

He said that according to the schedule, work was expected to start on July 10.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said the Government had given priority to the issue as it considered the establishment of the Circuit Bench important for the development of North Karnataka.

The Chief Minister said the Government could do nothing to change the location of the Circuit Bench at this stage. "Only the Chief Justice of the High Court has to take a decision in the issue. And that is why I have asked the Hubli lawyers to convince him in this regard," he said.

However, the Chief Minister said he would appeal to the lawyers of Hubli and Dharwad to resolve their differences.

"After so many years of agitation the Circuit Bench is going to be established. If the differences at this stage are not resolved, it may lead to further delay in implementing the project," he observed.

Agitation called off

Meanwhile, the Hubli lawyers called off their agitation and also the indefinite fast (by Narayan Iliger) following their discussion with the Chief Minister.

Mr. Basavaraj Horatti visited the venue of the lawyers' agitation and gave a glass of fruit juice to Mr. Narayan Iliger asking him to end the indefinite fast.

M.S. Srikar, Deputy Commissioner, accompanied the Minister.

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