U’KHAND GOVT’S DECISION TO SHIFT HC TRIGGERS ROW

DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand government’s “in-principle” nod on Wednesday to a proposal to move the high court from Nainital to Haldwani sparked outrage among lawyers, and was described by a section of Bharatiya Janata Party leaders as “impractical”.

While the chief minister’s office or the law ministry has so far not issued any statement on the reasons behind the decision, a government official familiar with the matter said, “Litigants and lawyers were facing issues of traffic congestion and roadblocks during the tourist season as well as during monsoon.”

BJP legislator from Nainital, Sarita Arya. said the decision was taken without seeking the opinion of advocates and businessmen in the city.

“I will oppose the decision at every level,” she said.

A senior advocate in Nainital, Raman Sah, said: “The shifting will worsen the migration problem. The high court must be in the hill area,” he said.

The Congress, however, welcomed the move.