Kerala Cabinet approves new Judicial City in Kalamassery

Kochi, Sep 24 (IANS) The Kerala Cabinet on Wednesday approved the construction of a new High Court building and Judicial City in Kalamassery, a suburb of Ernakulam, marking a major step in modernising the state's judicial infrastructure.

The State government plans to acquire 27 acres of land owned by HMT for the project, which is estimated to cost over Rs 1,000 crore, Kerala Minister for Industries, Coir, and Law P. Rajeev announced on his official Facebook page.

The Public Works Department (PWD) has prepared a preliminary blueprint for the Judicial City, which will feature three multi-storeyed towers covering over 12 lakh square feet, housing 61 court halls, the registrar's office, an auditorium, administrative and library blocks, arbitration centre, recruitment cell, information centre, and the Advocate General’s office, in addition to chambers for advocates.

Plans also include parking facilities and rainwater harvesting systems.

The Cabinet's approval follows discussions held during the annual Chief Minister–Chief Justice meeting in 2023.

A delegation led by then Kerala High Court Chief Justice A.J. Desai, along with Justices Mohammed Mushtaq, Bechu Kurian Thomas, Raja Vijayaraghavan, and Satheesh Ninan, visited the HMT-owned site in Kalamassery, which was deemed ideal for the new Judicial City due to its connectivity.

Kalamassery is linked to several national highways, the Seaport-Airport Road, and the Kochi Metro Rail, and happens to be Minister Rajeev’s constituency.

The move comes after longstanding concerns about the present High Court building in central Kochi, which faces severe waterlogging, limited parking, and proximity to the ecologically sensitive Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary.

However, the proposal has drawn strong opposition from the Kerala High Court Advocates' Association (KHCAA), which has repeatedly voiced concerns over relocating the High Court away from Kochi city.

The Home Department has been directed to initiate the implementation of the project, which is expected to redefine judicial infrastructure in Kerala while addressing the space and environmental challenges of the existing High Court building.

--IANS

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