Itanagar: Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai will inaugurate the newly constructed building of the Gauhati High Court’s Itanagar Permanent Bench in Arunachal Pradesh on August 10.
The state-of-the-art facility, which has been under construction since February 2021, is located in Naharlagun and features five new courtrooms along with other modern amenities.
The inauguration ceremony is expected to be attended by Gauhati High Court Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar, Chief Minister Pema Khandu, and several other dignitaries.
The project, with an estimated cost of Rs 135.35 crore, was executed by the Public Works Department.
The new building will become operational on August 11, with Justice Ashutosh Kumar presiding over the first court proceeding.
The last session at the current temporary location in Yupia will be held on August 8.
The high court’s foundation was laid by Chief Minister Pema Khandu in 2018 in Naharlagun. At present, the Gauhati High Court’s Itanagar Permanent Bench is temporarily functioning from Yupia.
The inauguration is a significant event for the state, which currently lacks a separate high court.
The president of the Gauhati High Court, Itanagar Permanent Bench Bar Association, T.T. Tara, expressed the state’s anticipation for the “historic day.”
“The inauguration of the new high court building is long-awaited. This is an important occasion in the journey of the Gauhati High Court, Itanagar Permanent Bench. Hopefully, the next logical step will be a separate high court for the state,” Tara said.
The bar association will also celebrate the 25th anniversary of the bench’s establishment on August 12.
Arunachal Pradesh does not have a separate high court. The Itanagar Permanent Bench of the Gauhati High Court was inaugurated on August 12, 2000, by then-governor Arvind Dave.
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Although the central government agreed in principle to establish a separate high court for Arunachal Pradesh in 2013, the state continues to function under the Gauhati High Court’s jurisdiction.
