IMPHAL, December 20: Chief Minister Okram Ibobi declared the High Court Bar Association’s demand for appointment of seven judges while setting up a separate High Court of Manipur reasonable and said that the state government is urging the Centre regarding the matter and further appealed the agitating HCBA to discontinue its cease work strike for the sake of the people.
The Chief Minister was answering to a calling attention motion raised by MLA L Ibomcha Singh of NCP at the Manipur Legislative Assembly today.
The Chief Minister further said that it is not in the hands of the state government to set up a separate High Court and to appoint judges for it, but it is done by the Ministry of Home Affairs under the initiative of the Ministry of Law and Justice.
The Government of India has issued a gazette notification on June 4, 2012 regarding the setting up of a separate High Court of Manipur, the CM said.
The Chief Minister said that it is true that it is technically not feasible to have only three judges including a Chief Justice in the High Court of Manipur which will be coming up shortly.
He said that he is also aware that there is inconvenience in transferring a case which is admitted to Single Bench to a Double Bench.
In regard with the demands made by HCBAM, several meetings have been convened with association representatives and also the state has been in touch with the Centre on the issue, the CM continued.
The State will continue to urge the Centre to appoint atleast five judges if not seven as demanded by the HCBAM, the CM added.
Opposition leader Dr I Ibohalbi, joining in the motion, presented his observation that the Manipur’s Judgeship quota of four has not been fulfilled while 15 Judges has been appointed from Assam against the state’s quota of only 11.
The cease work strike has increase the number of pending cases, he added.
Social Welfare Minister Ak Mirabai Devi while clarifying to a calling attention motion raised by Thangmeiband MLA Kh Joykishan that the honorarium for the workers and employees of ICDS has not been paid, said that the reports published in a local daily regarding the issue is false.
She said that there are 9507 anganwandi centres and 298 mini anganwadi centres in the state. 90 percent of the funding for this scheme is provided by Centre while the state provides only 10 percent and the funding is done after taking approval from the finance department.