Chief Minister of Assam Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, along with Chief Justice of Guwahati High Court Vijay Bishnoi, on Saturday ceremonially inaugurated the newly constructed building of the Sivasagar district judicial court.
Speaking at the event, Chief Minister Dr. Sarma exuded confidence the new judicial infrastructure shall aid in expediting the justice delivery mechanism in the historic Sivasagar district.
The Chief Minister said Sivasagar district has proudly upheld Assam’s glorious heritage since the time of the Ahom dynasty, forming the foundation of the society. He said the inauguration of the Judicial Court Building today has set a new milestone in the judicial field of Sivasagar today.
Referring to the judiciary as one of the cornerstones of Indian democracy, Dr. Sarma credited the country’s judicial apparatus for its role in protecting the rights of its citizens. Stating that the judiciary has been has been playing a crucial role in upholding justice, with the district-level judicial setup being the first point of contact for individuals seeking redress, the Chief Minister spoke about the need for a robust justice delivery system so that relief can be provided to those approaching the State with grievances, whether from criminal acts or civil disputes.
The Chief Minister added that in recent times, there has been great focus on improving the judicial infrastructure in the State. A new district judicial court building has already been inaugurated in Barpeta while court complexes in Bokakhat and Dhubri are nearing completion, he added. He further stated the district judiciaries have also been established in the newly created districts of South Salmara-Mankachar, Bajali, Biswanath, Majuli, and West Karbi Anglong while and additional 176 positions of judicial officials and staff have been created for the new districts of Bajali, Biswanath, Majuli, and West Karbi Anglong.
Recently, India’s legal landscape has witnessed a profound transformation with the enactment of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister stated.
He added these new legislations, replacing the colonial era Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr PC), and Indian Evidence Act (IEA) respectively, underscores a renewed emphasis on principles of fairness, equity, and safeguarding of citizens’ rights. The Chief Minister said the old laws, originating in the colonial era, were being widely regarded as obsolete, failing to capture the evolving social dynamics of modern India. Against this backdrop and aligning with the Prime Minister’s vision for “Ease of Justice”, the central took the initiative for a more contemporary legal framework, he added. Through the passage of the new criminal laws replacing the colonial ones, the government emphasized the spirit of “citizen first, dignity first and justice first”, the Chief Minister remarked. The Chief Minister stressed upon the need for practicing lawyers and police personnel to make themselves adequately familiar with the new set of laws. He further added that the government has been mulling the creation of a Directorate of Prosecution so that there is no undue delay in prosecution accruing to the government’s file-works.
Judges of Gauhati High Court Suman Shyam, Devashis Baruah, Arun Dev Choudhury, Ministers of Assam Cabinet Dr. Ranoj Pegu, Jogen Mohan, MLAs Sushanta Borgohain, Taranga Gogoi, along with a host of senior judicial officials and dignitaries were also present.
Later in the day, the Chief Minister visited the Lachit Maidam at Hollongapar in Jorhat district and took stock of the works that would be undertaken as part of the second phase of Lachit Maidam Development Project. He also took stock of the under-construction two numbers of museums, auditorium, pond, among others, within the Maidam premises. He also instructed the concerned authorities to construct an indoor stadium within the premises. During his visit, the Chief Minister was accompanied by Finance Minister Ajanta Neog, MLAs Sushanta Burhagohain, Taranga Gogoi, Rupjyoti Kurmi, along with a host of senior officials.
Photo Credit: @himantabiswa/X