Law and justice: Provision for courts, judicial institutions

Rs3.13 billion allocated for judiciary.

LAHORE:

The Punjab government has allocated Rs3.13 billion for the judiciary under the Access to Justice Programme (AJP) and Government Buildings/Offices in the budget for 2013-14.

Rs1.715 billion has been set aside for the AJP while Rs1.42 billion has been allocated for buildings for the judiciary. However, the budget does not provide a break up of funds allocated for schemes under the AJP.

According to the budget document, the judiciary spent Rs1.34 billion of the Rs1.49 billion earmarked for the AJP in 2012-13. Out of the Rs1.51 billion allocated for buildings for the judiciary only Rs942 million was used.

The new budget has allocated Rs200 million for the construction of a judicial complex in Lahore (Phase-II). Rs38.02 million has been set aside for additions/changes to the Lahore High Court and the preservation of old buildings in the East Block. Rs174.55 million has been set aside for the construction of the clock room, committee room, toilets block and the additional room in the Model Town courts.

Rs20 million has been allocated to enhance security on court premises. Funds for the construction of boundary walls around civil and sessions courts are included in this. Rs50 million has been marked down for the construction of a judicial complex at Pattoki, Kasur. Rs1.42 billion would be used for 137 on-going schemes of the judiciary and new schemes in 2013-14.

Funds have been set aside for judicial complexes (non-residential) at Jhelum and Sohawa. Residential blocks would also be constructed for judiciary officials in Kahuta, Rawalpindi.

Several new schemes would be launched to facilitate litigants. These include the construction of a litigant shed and litigant room at the judicial complex in Kahuta. The construction of judicial complexes in Sangla Hill, Wazirabad and Mandi Bahauddin, women litigants’ sheds in the civil court complex in Sahiwal and Bahawalpur will also be completed. Development projects include the upgrade and renovation of the old library at the Lahore High Court, construction of a mosque on the Lahore High Court premises, a Bahawalpur Bench, and installation of split air-conditioners at the LHC.

Under the new schemes, Rs23.14 million has been allocated for the construction of seven courts in Bhalwal in district Sargodha; and Rs7.7 million for the construction of courts for additional sessions judges in Bhakkar.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2013.