More than 500 advocates, who stayed away from court proceedings and everyday work for three consecutive working days until Monday, resumed work at the Combined Court complex in Tiruvannamalai town on Tuesday.
The advocates were protesting lack of basic amenities at the two-storeyed court complex located adjacent to the Collectorate premises. The protest was suspended as the litigants were left in the lurch.
“The vast court complex lacks basic amenities for litigants and court staff. Even the defunct R.O. water plant for litigants has not been repaired for many months. Everyone has to bring water on their own,” said R. Nagakumar, president, Tiruvannamalai District Bar Association.
The complex was built a decade ago to provide permanent facilities after its bifurcation from the Vellore court in 1989.
At present, the court complex comprises at least 15 courts, including the principal district court, two judicial magistrate courts, a court to deal with SC and ST cases, family courts and a fast track court (FTC). A special court for Pocso cases, established two years ago, is the latest addition made at the complex.
Cases related to accidents, family and property disputes, violence against women, criminal cases and petitions on appeal were also filed.
The district court complex gets around 1,500 cases listed every day. Hundreds of litigants, advocates and court staff throng the premises for the daily grind. However, most of the listed cases do not come up for hearing for the day due to poor internet connectivity as all cases are now being filed online.
As a result, litigants, who come from faraway places, have to return as their cases are not taken up for hearing as scheduled, the advocates say.
Also, except the Vulnerable Witness cabin in the special court that deals with Pocso cases, rest of the 14 court halls in the court complex are not air-conditioned. Currently, most of the court halls are equipped with a few ceiling fans and dim lights with poor ventilation. Most of the litigants wait outside due to the lack of space and seating arrangements inside the court halls.
Moreover, two under-construction lifts remain incomplete due to a delay in re-tendering of the work by the Public Works Department (PWD). At present, four courts, including the Pocso, FTC and the additional Mahila court are located on the second floor of the complex. Elderly litigants and women advocates find it difficult to climb the steep staircases to reach the court halls.
“The civil work on the lifts was completed. The installation of lifts will be carried out soon by the electrical wing. By December-end, work on the two lifts will be completed,” S. Mugilan, Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE), PWD (Tiruvannamalai), told The Hindu.
