Mangaluru : A consultative meeting convened here on Saturday by Dakshina Kannada MP Capt Brijesh Chowta on the demand for a high court bench in Mangaluru resolved to make a strong case before the three-member committee appointed by the high court to study the feasibility of establishing one.
Similar requests have been made in Uttara Kannada, Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru, where meetings are planned by Oct 15, D’Souza said.
Senior advocate MP Noronha said the campaign could succeed only if stakeholders understood the magnitude of the task and convincingly explained why a bench was essential in Mangaluru. The primary question before it will be whether a fourth bench is truly necessary,” Noronha said. He said stakeholders would have to demonstrate why Mangaluru was more suitable than other districts, besides presenting details of the infrastructure available and establishing that the region had seasoned and capable advocates. The hardships faced by farmers, businessmen, industrialists and representatives of institutions while travelling to Bengaluru for legal proceedings should also be documented and highlighted, he said. Capt Chowta said Mangaluru was a major contributor to the country’s GDP and led on several social development parameters. “Hence, the demand for a high court bench in Mangaluru is a sensible one,” he said. We must gather feedback, discuss the meeting’s outcomes and build momentum,” Chowta said. Congress MLC and Karavali High Court Bench Horata Samiti president Ivan D’Souza said a coordinated campaign involving all stakeholders would be conducted across the region before the high court committee’s visit.
Advocates, elected representatives and other stakeholders acknowledged that the demand involved substantial hurdles. “The committee will conduct a methodical and systematic study. Excluding Bengaluru, Karnataka already has high court benches in Dharwad and Kalaburagi. “Every citizen of this coastal region must associate themselves with this cause. Only then will the govt take notice and the Chief Justice heed it. Ultimately, public aspiration and public pressure are the only forces that move things forward. In Udupi, Bar Association president Ronald Praveen and district minister Rizwan Arshad will convene meetings.