Advocates protest government move to shift CJM court to GAD building in Panbazar

Members of the Guwahati Advocate Association (GAA) on Saturday staged a sit-in demonstration opposing the government’s sudden decision to shift the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) from its present building to the General Administration Department (GAD) building in Panbazar from August 26.
The order, issued by the CJM of Kamrup (Metro) on August 22, cited the “hazardous condition” of the existing court building as the reason for the relocation. According to the notification, the CJM court, along with the chargesheet, accounts, and copy sections, will be moved to the first floor of the GAD building. The GR and FR sections are to be shifted to allotted rooms on the ground floor, while the court room of JMFC H.L. Das will be relocated from the second floor to the ground floor of the current building.
The GAA, however, has objected strongly, calling the government’s move unilateral and impractical. General secretary Apurba Kumar Sarma told reporters that advocates had sought a permanent solution for shifting all courts and tribunals, but instead, the authorities were relocating the CJM court without consultation.
“The government wants to do it without discussion. The courtrooms in the GAD building are very small and lack a proper working atmosphere,” Sarma said. He further pointed out that the Kamrup Metro Deputy Commissioner had earlier assured the association in writing that any decision on shifting would be taken only after discussions, a commitment which has now been ignored.
Sarma added that while the PWD had warned of risks in the current building, two courts had already been shifted earlier. “We submitted representations repeatedly, but the government refused to sit with us. The case is also pending before the Gauhati High Court,” he said.
The GAA announced that it will hold another round of protests on Sunday from 11 am to 1 pm to continue pressing its demand for consultation and a comprehensive solution.
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