A new District Court Complex built at a cost of ₹121.9 crores in Ballari was dedicated to the nation on Sunday.
Chief Justice of High Court of Karnataka Ritu Raj Awasthi inaugurated the new building in the presence of dignitaries from the legislature, judiciary and executive.
“It is the biggest District Court Complex in Karnataka. The beautifully built structure has 20 court halls and a well-equipped conference hall. It is designed to offer better facilities for all, including lawyers and clients,” Mr. Awasthi said, after inaugurating the building and called upon the stakeholders to take care of the structure.
Recalling the history of Ballari court, Mr. Awasthi said that the Ballari court was established by the Madras Presidency in 1901 and continued to function till date.
“Considering the surge of cases, it was decided to build a bigger structure in 2013. The plan was later modified and approved in 2017. The work started in November 2017 and now, the magnificent court complex is before you. It is the constitutional responsibility of the government to provide the judiciary with all the infrastructure and amenities required for smooth functioning,” he said.
“The government needs to release the funds required for speeding up and completing of all pending projects in the judiciary. Had the Chief Minister participated in this programme, I would have asked him to release the funds for pending projects,” Mr. Awasthi said, demanding that the government provide advanced technology for fast delivery of justice.
Responding to the District Bar Council’s demands which were brought to his notice by K. Koteshwar Rao, a member of Karnataka State Bar Council, Mr. Awasthi said that he would discuss the demands with the administrator of Ballari District Court and Judge of High Court R. Devdas and Principal District and Sessions Judge S.H. Pushpanjali Devi and take appropriate measures.
High Court judge R. Devdas, Registrar General T.G. Shivashankaregowda, Principal District and Sessions Judge S.H. Pushpanjali Devi, Karnataka State Bar Council member J.M. Anilkumar, Ballari Bar Association president K. Yerrigouda were among the dignitaries who participated in the event.
