Tura, Meghalaya: In a move poised to significantly enhance judicial accessibility across Western Meghalaya, the Constitutional Rights Forum (CRF), headquartered in Tura, has formally appealed to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma for the establishment of a High Court Bench in the Garo Hills region. This earnest plea, jointly signed by the Forum’s President and Secretary, highlights the persistent hurdles faced by residents of East, West, South, North, and South West Garo Hills in seeking justice, primarily due to the considerable geographical and infrastructural divide separating them from the existing Meghalaya High Court in Shillong.
The memorandum meticulously outlines three key impediments. Firstly, the lack of proper connectivity and inadequate road infrastructure transforms the journey to Shillong into a time-consuming and arduous undertaking. Secondly, the exorbitant travel and lodging expenses place an undue financial strain on litigants, particularly those from economically weaker sections. Lastly, these logistical nightmares contribute to significant delays in case disposal, as appearing before the High Court becomes a prolonged struggle, plunging many into extended periods of legal uncertainty. The CRF’s petition thoughtfully backs its claims with data procured via the Right to Information (RTI) Act, revealing that the Garo Hills region collectively accounts for an estimated 1,250 to 1,500 case records annually. This substantial volume, the Forum asserts, more than justifies the need for a permanent High Court Bench to ensure prompt legal redressal. The Forum strongly believes that the establishment of a local bench would not only guarantee more affordable and swifter justice but also alleviate the caseload on the Shillong bench, thereby fostering greater judicial equity across the region.