A significant and proud chapter was added to the judicial history of Durg district today when Hon’ble Shri Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice of the High Court of Chhattisgarh, performed the Bhoomi Pujan and Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony for the construction of the new Principal District and Sessions Court Building, Durg. The occasion also witnessed the launch and inauguration of significant initiatives in the fields of modern judicial infrastructure, digital justice delivery and alternative dispute resolution.
The programme was graced by the presence of Hon’ble Shri Justice P.P. Sahu, Hon’ble Shri Justice Naresh Kumar Chandravanshi, Hon’ble Shri Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, Hon’ble Shri Justice Bibhu Dutt Guru and Hon’ble Shri Justice Amitendra Kishore Prasad, along with Hon’ble the Chief Justice.
The programme commenced with the welcome address delivered by Shri K. Vinod Kujur, Principal District and Sessions Judge, Durg. While extending a warm welcome to Hon’ble the Chief Justice and the Hon’ble Judges, he highlighted the need for the new court building, the importance of strengthening judicial infrastructure and the vision of developing a modern judicial complex capable of meeting future requirements.
Thereafter, Hon’ble the Chief Justice Shri Ramesh Sinha performed the ceremonial Bhoomi Pujan for the construction of the new Principal District and Sessions Court Building, Durg. The proposed new building is expected to provide a better organised and modern working environment for judicial functioning and mark a significant step towards expanding facilities for judicial officers, members of the Bar, court staff and litigants.
The programme was also graced by the presence of Hon’ble Shri Justice P.P. Sahu, Hon’ble Shri Justice Naresh Kumar Chandravanshi and other Hon’ble Judges.
Release of ‘Sandhi Setu’
In the next phase of the programme, Hon’ble the Chief Justice Shri Ramesh Sinha released ‘Sandhi Setu’, a book prepared by the District Legal Services Authority, Durg, on the subject of Community Mediation.
The objective of Sandhi Setu is to bring forth the concept of resolving disputes at the community level through dialogue, consensus and mediation, while documenting the efforts being undertaken towards building a dispute-free and harmonious rural society. The initiative seeks to strengthen the idea that access to justice should not remain confined to courtrooms alone but should also extend to resolving disputes within society through dialogue and mutual understanding.
Launch of Digital Justice Initiatives and Video Presentation
The programme also witnessed the launch and video presentation of various digital judicial initiatives developed by the Information Technology Team of the High Court of Chhattisgarh. These included the Cashless Fine Payment Facility, AFR Mobile Application (Android), and Court Fee Ticket Generation System.
The objective of these digital initiatives is to make judicial processes simpler, more transparent, accessible and technology-enabled, while providing greater convenience to citizens and other stakeholders in availing court-related services.
Chief Justice’s Inspiring Address
In his keynote address, Hon’ble the Chief Justice Shri Ramesh Sinha highlighted the importance of modern infrastructure, technological innovation and a citizen-centric justice delivery system. Describing the construction of the new court building as an important milestone for the judicial administration of Durg district, he emphasised the need to further strengthen judicial institutions in accordance with future requirements.
He also appreciated initiatives such as digital justice delivery and community mediation, observing that the true success of the justice delivery system lies in making justice more accessible, simple, transparent and closer to the common citizen.
Programme Concludes in the Presence of Dignitaries
The programme was attended by judicial officers, officers and employees of the District Judiciary, members of the Bar, representatives associated with the Legal Services Authority, various administrative officers, Para Legal Volunteers, social representatives and members of the print and electronic media.
The Vote of Thanks was delivered by Smt. Suman Ekka, Principal Judge, Family Court, Durg. She expressed her gratitude to Hon’ble the Chief Justice, the Hon’ble Judges, judicial officers, administrative officers, members of the Bar, media representatives and all those who contributed to the successful organisation of the programme.
The Bhoomi Pujan of the new court building, the release of ‘Sandhi Setu’, and the launch of digital judicial initiatives together marked a significant step towards making the justice delivery system in Durg district more modern, accessible, technology-enabled and citizen-centric.
Hon’ble the Chief Justice was also accorded a warm and dignified welcome by the District Bar Association, Durg. On the occasion, the members of the State Bar Council elected from Durg district also extended a warm felicitation to Hon’ble the Chief Justice.
