Meghalaya lawmakers ask for permanent high court

Shillong, May 6 (UNI) The Opposition Congress in Meghalaya Assembly today demanded the establishment of a permanent bench of the High Court to cater to the judicial needs of the underprivileged people in the state.

Moving a cut motion on the creation of a permanent High Court in the state, Opposition member Charles Pyngrope (Cong) urged the government to make concerted efforts to ensure the establishment of a permanent High court to ensure justice to the people of the state.

He said it was a matter of concern that ever since Meghalaya came into existence, the people of the state does not have permanent High Court, but only a bench with its principal seat in Guwahati, Assam.

''The non-existence of a full-fledged High Court in the court has delayed to justice to 1760 cases in the state,'' another Opposition legislator Abu Taher Mondal (Ind) said while urging the government to persuade the matter with concerned authorities.

Urging the government to initiate measures for setting up a permanent bench, senior Congress MLA R C Laloo said, ''If Sikkim with very less number of cases can set up its own High Court, why have Meghalaya beenleft behind?' Agreeing with the views of the opposition members Chief Minister Dr Donkupar Roy said the government had taken up the matter with the Centre from 1986 for setting up a permanent High Court bench in the state.

'' We will continue to take up the matter with the concerned authorities for setting of the permanent high court'', he said.

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