AS PENDENCY IN COURT MOUNTS, NAINITAL HC MAY BE SHIFTED
The Uttarakhand government could consider shifting the Nainital high court as the crowd of litigants and lawyers visiting the hill station adds to traffic chaos in summers, tourism minister Satpal Maharaj said. The move would be subject to the approval of the judges.
“My personal opinion is that we (government) could think of shifting the high court from Nainital if such a proposal, mooted by residents of the famous summer resort, finds favour with the honourable judges,” the minister said here. “We will write to the chief justice of the state high court.”
Maharaj said if the chief justice agrees to such a proposal, the court could be shifted to some other suitable place in Kumaon. “There are options that can be considered as alternative sites”, he said referring to “nearby” Ranibag and Rudrapur.
He said the Hindustan Machine Tool’s (HMT) Ranibag factory, a mere 30 kms away from Nainital, was “perfectly suited” to house a new Nainital high court building. “The premises of HMT factory is ideally suited as it is spread over a sprawling area,” Maharaj said.
Rudrapur, the district headquarters town of Udham Singh Nagar, offers even bigger space. “Rudrapur falls in a plain area. It is ideally suited also because it is close to the Pantnagar airport,” Maharaj pointed out, adding that the town has many other plus points.
“A majority of the litigants who have their cases listed in the Nainital high court are from the two plain districts,” Maharaj said referring to Udham Singh Nagar and Haridwar.
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