The Bombay High court on Thursday directed the state government to formulate a policy to ensure fire safety and cleanliness in lower courts across Maharashtra. The directive must be complied with by June 16, said the court.
The Bombay High court on Thursday directed the state government to formulate a policy to ensure fire safety and cleanliness in lower courts across Maharashtra. The directive must be complied with by June 16, said the court.
A division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice C V Bhadang also directed the government to ensure that bare acts of the state are uploaded on government websites and made available in printed formats within two months. Further, it asked the government to consider not outsourcing court cleaning staff as they were not accountable to the courts.
The government informed the court that a coordination committee under the chairmanship of the chief secretary had been constituted to ensure proper infrastructure is provided to the judiciary. The court though directed the state to scrutinise all ongoing infrastructure projects and set out an outer limit for its completion and ensure that funds are made available.
The bench gave the directions while hearing a PIL filed by the Litigants Association of Maharashtra, which has claimed that basic facilities like toilets and water are not available in several courts.
During the course of earlier hearings, it had been revealed that the government had released funds to the HC administration on the last date of the financial year (2014-15). The meant that allocation lapsed within a few hours and could not be transferred to the next financial year. While water coolers were purchased, funds required to install them were not released, pointed out the PIL.
The HC on the last occasion had said that barring a few courts, most had high footfall and litigants and witnesses had to wait for a long time. There are space constraints in some courts but some system needs to be worked out for the having a cleaner environment, it had said. Recently, the government sanctioned 179 posts of new judges in lower courts. However, advocates have raised concerns over space for the additional staff and providing basic facilities to them.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}