Petition regarding dearth of staff in High Court: Comm Finance directed to file ATR regarding creation of posts
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: In a petition filed by Joginder Singh Bench secretary of the High Court regarding dearth of staff at various level (i.e.) High Court and District Courts, Pay Anomaly in respect of officers and staff and promotional avenues to Law Graduate Readers of the High Court, a Division Bench of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court comprising Justice Tashi Rabstan and Justice Sindhu Sharma, observed that proposal regarding creation of posts in the Phase-1 is stated to be pending consideration before respondent, Commissioner, Finance Department, so K D S Kotwal, Dy AG is directed to update the status of the same by filing Action Taken Report in this regard.
DB further directed that the needful be done by or before next date of hearing, failing which respondent would have to appear in person before the Court on the next date of hearing along with records for rendering necessary assistance in passing further appropriate orders.
When the petition came-up for hearing, Division Bench observed that on last date of hearing i.e., 29.08.2022, Achal Sethi, Secretary to Government, Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, who was present in person assured the Court that Government is ready to create posts in terms of the High Court proposal, however, it is not possible to get all the posts sanctioned in one go and the Government is ready to sanction the posts in two phases in terms of the meeting dated 04.05.2022. DB observed that the averments made in the application reveal that the Government is committed to provide the staff and to take all effective steps to augment any requirement of the Courts to reduce the pendency and expedite the delivery of justice, which in itself, if taken on face value, is nothing else, but, an assurance of the Government to this Court.
DB further observed that it has also been submitted by Amit Gupta, AAG that Secretary to Government, Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs has already taken up the matter with the Finance Department for concurrence of proposal of the High Court for creation of posts, however said communication has not been placed on record. So, Secretary to Government, Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs shall place the said communication on record besides filing affidavit in terms of the order dated 29.08.2022 positively by or before the next date of hearing, the Court directed.
