GULBARGA: Ending all uncertainties about the construction of the court complex to house the proposed circuit bench of the Karnataka High Court in Gulbarga city, the State Government has finalised the tender proposals and awarded the construction of the complex to Mumbai-based builders Unity Infra Project Ltd.

Agriculture Marketing Minister Sharanabasappa Dharshanapur told The Hindu here on Thursday that the Government cleared the proposals and fixed the cost of the project at Rs. 66.66 crore. The work order would be issued to the contractor after signing of the formal agreement here on Monday.

He said a team of representatives from the company would be arriving here on Monday to sign the agreement and accept the work order from the Public Works Department. Construction work of the complex would begin within ten days after signing of contract.

The State Government had finalised the proposal of taking up construction of the new court complex on the outskirts of Dharwad and had entered into an agreement with a Bangalore-based contractor B.S. Rao Construction Company. The delay in finalising the award of contract for the building was owing to a higher price quoted by the Mumbai-based contractor. The Government held several rounds of discussions with officials of the company and successfully persuaded them to bring down the cost of construction .

Members of the Gulbarga Bar Association had taken exception to the delay in taking up construction of the court complex and during Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's visit on September 17 to participate in the Hyderabad Karnataka Liberation Day celebrations, they had threatened to revive the agitation if construction was not taken up immediately. Finalisation of the proposal to start construction of the complex signals crossing of the last hurdle for achieving one of the long-pending demands of the people of the region for a permanent bench of the High Court in Gulbarga city.

However, the issue kept dragging for years and it was during the tenure of Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh that the High Court agreed to set up a Circuit Bench in place of a permanent bench of the High Court in Dharwad and Gulbarga.

A team of the High Court judges who visited Gulbarga and Dharwad to inspect infrastructure suggested the construction of a court complex since the existing infrastructure was insufficient to hold the sitting of the Circuit Bench.

The complex will come up on 55.10 acres of land and will consist of the main court building, having a basement, ground and two floors consisting of Chief Justice Court Hall, chamber with restroom ten court halls, separate judges chamber, library, waiting rooms for litigants and public, Registrar General office, Registrar's office, Assistant Registrar's office, and other rooms. Apart from this six judges' quarters and Advocate General's quarters will also be constructed in the complex along with clubhouse, guesthouse, dispensary and other facilities.

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