DEHRA DUN, OCT 16: The delay in announcing the location of the new High Court for Uttaranchal has sparked off mini-movement by lawyers of Dehra Dun, Nainital and Hardwar, all of whom are campaigning for their district to be chosen for this purpose.The legal fraternity of Dehra Dun is backing up its claim saying the High Court should be stationed in the provisional capital. They have also met several central leaders to press for their demand. A lawyers' delegation also plans to meet the Chief Justice of India on October 17 to press for their demand.They further argue that more than 60 per cent of the cases pending in the Allahabad High Court from Uttaranchal - except Hardwar district - belong to Dehra Dun district alone. Moreover, out of more than 3,500 lawyers in the region, nearly half are stationed at Dehra Dun. Prem Chand Sharma, president of the DehraDun Bar Association felt that Dehra Dun being well connected by rail, road and air, was best suited for the High Court. In fact, it is reported that the Old Ranger's College building which was converted into the Himalayan Heritage Centre in Dehra Dun has been earmarked as a possible location to house the High Court of the new state. On the other hand, lawyers of neighbouring Hardwar district feel that since the district has been included in Uttaranchal despite resistance, the High court should be stationed there. They argue that Hardwar being equidistant from Kumaon and Garhwal, is the most suitable place. A new building recently constructed as the district court there can easily house the new High Court, they claim.However, the fact that Hardwar being a pilgrim centre attracting lakhs of people on every religious occasion can go against the setting up of High Court there. Apart from various religious festivals during which lakhs of people converge on Hardwar, all roads leading to the city right from Meerut are practically blocked during the month of ``sawan'' when lakhs of ``kawarias'' flock to the river Ganges.Lawyers from Nainital have based their case on the ground that the city was the summer capital of the erstwhile United Provinces during the British era, and since Dehra Dun has been made the provincial Capital, Nainital should be given at least the High Court.
