Mah Govt to move SC within three weeks

Mumbai, Sep 19 (UNI) The Maharastra government today informed the Bombay High Court that it would move the Supreme Court, seeking permission to implement a notification that confers unlimited pecuniary jurisdiction to the Bombay City Civil Court and enhances pecuniary jurisdiction of the Small Causes Court to Rs 25,000.

While replying to a petition filed by senior lawyer M P Washi before a division bench of Justice J N Patel and Amjad Sayyad, associate advocate general Ashutosh Kumbhkoni also informed the court that the strength of judges in the City Civil Court was enhanced by 20 and presently 46 judges out of the sanctioned strength of 78 were functional.

Unlike all other District Civil Courts in the state, which possess unlimited pecuniary jurisdiction, the Bombay City Civil Court has pecuniary juridiction only upto Rs 50,000. The state government had made an amendment to the Act governing the City Civil Court, thereby bringing it at par with all other district civil courts in the state. A notification of August 20, 1991, issued for the implementation of the amendment, was stayed by the Supreme Court for want of infrastructure and manpower. The apex court, while uphelding legality of the amendment in January 2005, had directed the state government to seek its permission for implementation, as and when the infrastructure was ready.

Adv Washi moved the High Court seeking implementation of the notification.

UNI