K'taka Bar Council warns of statewide stir

Bangalore, Mar 29 (UNI) The Karnataka Bar Council today warned the government of a State-wide agitation if it failed to take any pro-active step to set up circuit benches of the High Court in the North Karnataka region and release more funds for construction of court buildings.

Addressing newspersons here, Council Chairman Y R Sadashiva Reddy said the State Government had been blaming the High Court for not giving permission to set up circuit benches in North Karnataka.

However, after the High Court gave its consent, it was the State Government which was dragging its feet on the issue, triggering strong protests from the advocates community in Dharwad and Gulbarga. The Government would be held responsible if the condition of Dharwad Bar Association President B D Hiremath, who had embarked on a hunger stir on the issue, worsened, he cautioned.

He said the long pending demand of the people of North Karnataka was genuine. Though the then Karnataka High Court Chief Justice N K Sodhi had laid the foundation stone for the construction of the court buildings in Dharwad and Gulbarga last year, there was no progress.

UNI MV GD VD HT1842