A number of courts both in Durgapur and Burdwan are lying vacant due to shortage of judges, causing delay in judicial proceedings.
Besides spending Rs 29 crore for a new court building in Durgapur, the building is yet to see its completion for the last seven years. Work on the building started in 2018 by the Asansol Durgapur Development Authority. The MLA, Durgapur (West), Lakshman Ghorui from BJP has drawn the attention of the Speaker of the state Assembly on the matter seeking his intervention.
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Ghorui said: “It’s ridiculous to note that the ADDA has already taken seven years to complete the five-floor structure. A new premises has become highly essential as the existing court building has become dilapidated where the lawyers, the judges and the plaintiff visit, risking their lives. It’s mysterious why the state law department hasn’t mounted pressure on ADDA as yet.”
Law minister Moloy Ghatak had asked ADDA to expedite the construction. Chairman, ADDA, Kabi Dutra, said: “Due to Covid-19 pandemic construction was halted for three years. Two phases of the building have been built. Now, some works are pending as the approval for the third phase execution is yet to be issued by the respective judicial department and it’s expected to take three more months to see full completion.”
Currently, the judicial services are operated in Durgapur from the second administrative building of ADDA that was inaugurated in 1978 by former chief minister Jyoti Basu at City Centre. Considering the dilapidated condition of the present building, the entire sub-divisional magistrate’s office establishment has been shifted to the newly-built four-story building at City Centre here last year.
Apart from the deficiency of adequate structures, the judicial services both in Durgapur and Burdwan are also facing difficulties due to shortage of judges.
In Burdwan District Court, the posts of second, fourth and fifth Judicial Magistrate’s are lying vacant over the months. Debabrata Sain, president, Durgapur Bar Association, said: “We’ve already sought intervention of the Zonal Judge on the crisis as the plaintiffs are suffering due to this.”
