Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Allocation for Bench hailed

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The campaign for a High Court Bench in the State capital received a shot in the arm on Wednesday with Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac announcing a token provision of Rs.50 lakh for the proposal. Replying to the three-day general debate on the budget for 2008-09 in the Assembly, Mr. Isaac said the funds would be made available as and when the bench was sanctioned.

Hailing the Finance Minister’s announcement, Thiruvananthapuram East MLA V. Sivankutty said it was up to the High Court Chief Justice and the Central government to clarify their stand on the issue. “The Assembly had twice adopted a resolution on the issue and the Cabinet had also cleared the proposal for a bench. It has been over a month since the Thiruvananthapuram Bar Association and various organisations launched a stir to press the long-standing demand. The Union government should issue a notification for the establishment of a bench in Thiruvananthapuram if the Chief Justice is not inclined to concede the public demand.”

Mr. Sivankutty urged the three Union Ministers from Kerala, A.K.Antony, Vayalar Ravi and E. Ahmed, to exert pressure on the Centre to issue a notification for the establishment of a bench.

Thiruvananthapuram Bar Association president C.K. Sitaram also welcomed the Finance Minister’s announcement of a budgetary allocation to set up the bench.

He, however, said the allocation would go waste in the absence of a notification by the government.

He said the bar association would go ahead with the decision to intensify its agitation from Friday. Lawyers would also boycott court proceedings to press the demand, he added.

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