CJI Chandrachud avers the Union Govt takes apex Court seriously on infra demands

NEW DELHI: CJI DY Chandrachud on Friday said that the Union government takes the supreme court very seriously and has acceded to its Rs 7,000 crore demand for e-courts project and judicial infrastructural needs without cutting even a single rupee even as other departments suffered cuts in budgetary allocations.
“The government takes the SC very seriously. We made a detailed project report on Rs 7,000 crore budgetary estimate for e-courts and judicial infrastructural needs. The government sanctioned the entire amount and didn’t cut a single rupee from what we demanded. Other departments suffered budgetary cuts,” said the CJI, who was heading the bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and PS Narasimha. His remark came during a hearing on a petition filed by SC Bar Association Seeking a direction to the Union Government for considering a proposal for acquisition of land and buildings in SC’s vicinity to create chamber space for thousands of advocates.
When SCBA president Vikas Singh raised the acute need of chambers for its members, many of whom are waiting for it for decades, similar claims were made by SC Advocates on Record Association (SCAoRA), women advocates and Bar Council of India, creating a cacophony.
“Lawyers are part of the institution. If the SC passes judicial orders, it will give rise to a disquiet that judicial powers are being used to further its own interest. Trust the court to take up lawyers’ needs with the government on administrative side,” the bench said. The CJI said, “We cannot bulldoze the government with our administrative needs. The tradition is to engage on the administrative side. We will engage with the government regarding the infrastructure needs of advocates.” (a syndicated new3s feed)