I never ask for Centre funds, it's futile: Narendra Modi

Chief minister Narendra Modi returned to his favourite theme — ‘development in Gujarat’ versus the poor rate of development in the rest of India — at a function organised to dedicate the newly launched e-library to the 154 district and taluka bar associations in Gujarat.

In various veiled references to both the Centre and the Congress, Modi (who was late by 2 hours) said that it was indeed a sad day for the country when half of it had to go without power. He claimed that the blackout which had left several states without electricity had damaged
India’s image.

He further said that usually chief ministers write to the Centre asking for better allocation of funds but he doesn’t do so as his demands are unlikely to be met.

Dedicating the e-library to the bar associations, he claimed it was part of the government’s larger ‘proactive’ e-governance policy which was ‘another name for easy, effective and economical governance’.

The e-library will give lawyers working in the district and taluka courts access to close to 7.5 lakh judgments, including those of the high courts of different states.

Bar Council of Gujarat chairman Dilip Patel said that the e-library could be made possible because of the Rs2.5 crore funds provided for the purpose by the state.

Speaking at the function, law minister Dilip Sanghani said that the state government had written to the Centre about the use of Gujarati in high court proceedings.

“But so far we have not got any response from the Centre. We want that besides English, lawyers should be allowed to argue in Gujarati as well,” said Sanghani. The e-library has judgements from 1950 onwards and also the decisions of the Privy Council and 13 tribunals.