Mangaluru: A consultative meeting convened here on Saturday by Dakshina Kannada MP Capt Brijesh Chowta on the demand for a high court bench in Mangaluru resolved to make a strong case before the three-member committee appointed by the high court to study the feasibility of establishing one.Advocates, elected representatives and other stakeholders acknowledged that the demand involved substantial hurdles. Senior advocate MP Noronha said the campaign could succeed only if stakeholders understood the magnitude of the task and convincingly explained why a bench was essential in Mangaluru.“The committee will conduct a methodical and systematic study. Excluding Bengaluru, Karnataka already has high court benches in Dharwad and Kalaburagi. The primary question before it will be whether a fourth bench is truly necessary,” Noronha said.He said stakeholders would have to demonstrate why Mangaluru was more suitable than other districts, besides presenting details of the infrastructure available and establishing that the region had seasoned and capable advocates.The hardships faced by farmers, businessmen, industrialists and representatives of institutions while travelling to Bengaluru for legal proceedings should also be documented and highlighted, he said.Capt Chowta said Mangaluru was a major contributor to the country’s GDP and led on several social development parameters. “Hence, the demand for a high court bench in Mangaluru is a sensible one,” he said.“Every citizen of this coastal region must associate themselves with this cause. Only then will the govt take notice and the Chief Justice heed it. Ultimately, public aspiration and public pressure are the only forces that move things forward. We must gather feedback, discuss the meeting’s outcomes and build momentum,” Chowta said.Mangaluru City South MLA D Vedavyas Kamath, Mangaluru Bar Association president Jagadish Shenava, former president Raghavendra HV, former Rajya Sabha member B Ibrahim and representatives of institutions and organisations participated in the meeting.Congress MLC and Karavali High Court Bench Horata Samiti president Ivan D’Souza said a coordinated campaign involving all stakeholders would be conducted across the region before the high court committee’s visit.After a meeting of the Mangaluru Bar Association, consultations will be held within a week at Belthangady, Puttur, Sullia, Bantwal, Moodbidri and other centres to create awareness and collect views, he told reporters.The committee, appointed by the high Court on Sept 29, comprises Justices Anu Shivaram, SG Pandit and Mohammed Nawaz. It will interact with people, the legal fraternity and stakeholders in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga and Kodagu before submitting its report to the Chief Justice. The dates of its visit are yet to be finalised.A meeting under the leadership of district minister UT Khader, involving MPs, MLAs, MLCs and other stakeholders, has been called for Oct 12.In Udupi, Bar Association president Ronald Praveen and district minister Rizwan Arshad will convene meetings. Similar requests have been made in Uttara Kannada, Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru, where meetings are planned by Oct 15, D’Souza said.
