Foundation laying for Gauhati High Court relocation to be held tomorrow
Guwahati, January 10
At a press conference on Saturday, Assam Advocate General Devajit Lon Saikia said that the foundation stone laying ceremony for relocation of the current Gauhati High Court will be held on Sunday.
Speaking to ANI, Saikia stated that the decision acknowledged the difficulties that judges face in the present campus of the court, adding that support is sought from the Assam government.
"In the last 3-4 years, a process has been going on to relocate the current Gauhati High Court, and tomorrow the foundation stone laying ceremony will be held. People are speaking about this at different levels. Some people have protested it, and some others have supported this," he said.
He further informed of the timeline of the matter, adding that a potential Judicial township will be constructed.
"The proposal was started in 2023 and at that time the Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court was Justice Sandeep Mehta and a decision was taken that the Judges have faced difficulties to continue the legal process in the current campus of the High Court and will urge the Assam government that we will construct a Judicial Township or Integrated Judicial Complex and to seek support from the Assam government," he added.
The new building of the Gauhati High Court's Itanagar Permanent Bench at Naharlagun was inaugurated in August 2025 by the Chief Justice of India B R Gavai.
The new building of the Gauhati High Court's was inaugurated in the presence of Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju, Union MoS for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court Ashutosh Kumar, Judges from the Supreme Court of India, Gauhati High Court and the Itanagar Permanent Bench, and several eminent Judges from High Courts across the country.
The foundation stone for the 19,000+ square meter structure was laid on August 12, 2018, by Khandu. Despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, difficult terrain, long monsoon seasons, and high logistics costs, construction was completed in under four years at a cost of nearly Rs 250 crore.
— ANI
Reader Comments
While a new building is welcome, I hope the focus remains on justice delivery and not just infrastructure. The cost mentioned for the Itanagar bench is huge – nearly 250 crores! We must ensure transparency and that public money is used wisely.
Finally! The traffic around the current high court in Guwahati is a nightmare. A judicial township with proper planning should ease congestion. Hope they also think about parking and public transport access.
It's impressive to see the focus on the North-East's development. Completing the Itanagar bench despite the terrain and monsoon challenges shows commitment. Hope this new complex also gets built efficiently.
The article says some people are protesting. I wonder what their concerns are? Is it about the location, the cost, or something else? Public consultation is important for such major projects.
As a law student in Guwahati, this is exciting news! A modern, integrated complex will be a great learning environment. Hope it also includes a better law library and research facilities. 🤞
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.