Guwahati, Aug 24: The Lawyers’ Association, Guwahati (LAG), on Monday, sought a clear timeline for relocating the district judiciary to the proposed integrated judicial township at Rangmahal, urging the Assam government to clarify its stand on the permanent shifting of courts. Addressing a press conference at the association’s Panbazar office, LAG general secretary Apurba Kumar Sharma said the association had obtained the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Rangmahal judicial township through a Right to Information (RTI) application filed with the Public Works Department (PWD).

According to Sharma, the DPR envisages the relocation in three phases but does not clearly specify when the district judiciary will be shifted. “We found architectural drawings only for the Phase-I buildings.

There is no mention of when the district judiciary will be relocated, what type of accommodation will be provided, or what facilities will be available there,” he said. According to the DPR received by the association, the first phase involves shifting the Gauhati High Court, High Court offices and the High Court Bar building, with the work expected to be completed within three years.

The second phase involves expansion of the High Court and Bar facilities, while the district judiciary has been included only in the third phase, Sharma said. He said the lack of a clear roadmap had created uncertainty among advocates, particularly as the number of lawyers continues to grow.

“If we cannot operate or perform properly, it will be the common people who suffer the most in their pursuit of justice. That is why we demand that the government clarify its stand and provide a clear timeline for our permanent relocation,” he said.

Concerns over GAD building The association also raised concerns about the condition of courts that have already been shifted to the General Administration Department (GAD) building. LAG president Pradip Kumar Konwar alleged that the courtrooms were “too small and lack sufficient space for advocates, litigants and members of the public”.

The association also claimed that the premises have inadequate sanitation facilities, poor ventilation and no lifts, creating difficulties for elderly people and persons with disabilities. Displaying a photograph at the press conference, Sharma highlighted the case of a woman with a disability who was allegedly forced to sit on a staircase because she could not access the upper floors of the building.