Chief Minister inaugurates Ccpur district & sessions court
Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh on Wednesday inaugurated the newly constructed building of District & Sessions Court at the District Court Complex in Tuibong, Churachandpur district.
Ibobi was the chief guest of the occasion which had the Chief Justice of High Court of Manipur Lakshmi Kanta Mahapatra, and Judge Justice N Kotiswar attending as president and guest of honour respectively. Organised by the Law & Legislative Affairs Department, the function was also attended by Health Minister Phungzathang Tonsing.
MLAs including GS Haupu from 60 Singngat A/C, Vungzagin Valte from Thanlon and Dr Chaltonlien Amo from Tipaimukh, as well as legal practitioners and members of Churachandpur District Bar Association also participated at the inaugural ceremony.
In his speech, the Chief Minister revealed plans of the government to make Churachandpur Jail functional at the earliest possible by installing all infrastructure and manpower needed while assuring that the manpower requirements of the court also will be looked into at the earliest.
He said the sessions court has been inaugurated so as to ensure justice is delivered to the poorest of the poor people thereby upholding the status that all are equal in the eyes of the law.
T Phungzathang during his speech expressed hope that with the opening of the court, justice will be delivered to the people and that protection of the citizens’ right duly ensured. He further noted that in Churachandpur tribal areas a traditional court of settling issues based on the tribal customary laws and practices is also in vogue at the Village Authority level relating to various types of crimes, accidents and divorce cases.
Earlier during his speech Koteshwar highlighted on the numbers of the sessions court that had been opened at Thoubal, Bishnupur and Churachandpur and remarked that it was undertaken in compliance with the constitutional mandate enshrined in Article 39A of the Indian Constitution. He pointed out the need for proper functioning of the Legislative, Executive and the Judiciary and stressed the need for making the judiciary an independent body which is the case in the state of Manipur unlike some of the other NE states.
Many courts in the hills have become dysfunctional due to the threats received by the persons who deal with the judiciary.
However, they are now on the process of being reactivated.
Chief Justice Laxmikanta Mahopatra recalled after he assumed office on October 21, 2013 he was informed of the absence of proper courts in the hill districts of the state and that made him set the ball rolling to ensure the hill district have such courts while pointing out about the need to have even a court in the sub-divisional level to deal with petty but serious cases.
Acknowledging that litigants in the remote parts of the state could not come to courts located in the cities and towns, the Chief Justice also thanked Ibobi for his keen interest in opening such courts in hill areas.
