Combined court complex continues to elude Ariyalur

Ariyalur district, bifurcated from Perambalur in 2007 with more than 11 lakh population and 18 police stations including two women police station. The once crime prone district has now gradually turned into an industrial developed region in the central district.  

While the infrastructure has developed in the district, the most important demand of the people particularly, the advocates and the police is to have a combined district court on par with the neighbouring districts like Perambalur and Tiruchy.

The British had established a Munsif Court adjacent to the Ariyalur bus stand around 100 years back and it has a record of late Chief Minister M Karunanidhi who led the agitation against Hindi, which was produced before this Munsif Court. As the crime rate increased in the district, other courts were established one by one in due course in the Munsif Court premises.

Since there was lack of courts, the advocates from the district organised a series of protests demanding to upgrade the courts.

Later, the State government announced the upgradation of the court into a district court in 2011 and the district court started functioning in the same premises of Munsif Court.

Subsequently, the District principal and sessions court, Additional District court, District Judicial Magistrate Court have started to function in the court premises.

However, the other courts like Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Family Court, Mahila Court and Consumer Court started to function but not having place in the Munsif Court to operate, were housed in other private buildings across the Ariyalur town with a monthly rent ofRs 2 lakh.

Despite the adequate number of courts, they lack various amenities, including drinking water and toilet facilities. While the district court (previous Munsif Court) have crossed 100 years, the building is reportedly at a dilapidated condition and need immediate repair work, said the advocates.

In such a backdrop, the Madras High Court had asked to identify a land for the construction of the combined court and so a team identified a 10 acre land belonging to the HR&CE at Ammakulam in Ariyalur Bypass and recommended to construct the combinecourt building.

However, even after identification of land, no step has been taken to construct the building so far.

Although the Bar Association has sent several representations to the government to start the construction work immediately, no action has so far been taken.

Since the permanent building is yet to be materialised, the government has been spending nearly Rs 2 lakh per month as rent to various private parties.

“This apart, the litigants have to run one area to another to find their courts and similar is the condition of the advocates,” said an advocate and added that they could build a permanent building at the identified spot rather than shelling huge amount of money as rent.