Allahabad High Court: A seven-Judge Bench of the High Court through an order in a suo-motu matter issued directions regarding? establishment of video conferencing facilities in all the district courts and jails of the State so as to provide better connectivity, installation of CCTV cameras for ensuring security in court premises, installation of independent power feeder lines to ensure uninterrupted supply of electricity during court hours and for enhancement of the strength of the district judiciary to meet directions which were issued by the Supreme Court in Brij Mohan Lal v. Union of India, (2012) 6 SCC 502. The High Court has issued these directions and taken up the matter suo motu in the wake of spurt of incidents resulting in obstruction and derailment of work in both the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad and in the District Courts across the State.
The High Court directed the State Government that the time lines which were indicated by the Chief Secretary and Finance Secretary of the State before the Court shall be strictly observed and the installation of video conferencing facilities in fifty district courts in any event shall be completed by 31 December 2015. It was also directed that while installing video conferencing equipment in the district courts, the equipment that is installed shall have the capability of preserving data records for a period of not less than sixty days so that any objections to the modalities which have been followed in a particular case can be dealt with by the Judge concerned on the basis of the recording which is preserved.
The High Court also directed that requisite steps should be taken to ensure that the working strength of the district judiciary in the State is enhanced to 2500 judges during 2016-2017 from the current strength of about 2000. The High Court further directed that in order to ensure that the projects relating to the district judiciary are duly and appropriately monitored, State Government should constitute a Monitoring Committee which should consist of at least two Principal Secretaries of the State Government besides the Registrar General of this Court to facilitate periodical monitoring and resolution of problems which may arise. [In Re: Zila Adhivakta Sangh Allahabad, decided on 29.10.2015]
