Hill District Bar Delegation Calls on Manipur Governor, Seeks Urgent Intervention in Judicial Infrastructure Crisis

A delegation representing various hill district Bar Associations of Manipur, under the banner of the All Tribal Lawyers' Association, Manipur (ATLAM), met with Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan today to highlight the pressing challenges faced in the administration of justice in the state's hill regions.

During the meeting, the delegation submitted a detailed memorandum outlining a range of grievances, including severe infrastructure deficiencies, staffing shortages, and the lack of basic judicial and correctional facilities in several districts. The delegation sought the Governor’s intervention to address the systemic neglect that has long hampered access to justice for tribal communities in these remote areas.

Key concerns raised included:

• Churachandpur District: The District and Sessions Court building remains in a dilapidated condition despite prior renovation, with flooding issues and unsafe conditions affecting court operations. The CJM/JMFC courts have been shifted to a temporary location, and the district prison facilities are overcrowded and lack basic amenities.
• Chandel District: Despite the establishment of a CJM Court in 2012, higher-level cases are still being handled in Imphal, causing delays and inconvenience. The court complex requires urgent renovation, and the district jail remains non-operational.
• Senapati District: The JMFC Mao Court, inaugurated in November 2024, has yet to become functional. The ongoing construction of the District and Sessions Court needs to be expedited, and a local district jail is yet to be established.
• Tamenglong District: The District and Sessions Court functions sporadically, with limited sittings each month, and no JMFC is posted in the district. The delegation demanded regular court sittings and the establishment of a district jail.
• Ukhrul District: Despite the foundation stone being laid in 2015, construction of the District Court Complex has not commenced. The district also lacks a consumer forum and jail facility, despite court orders and repeated administrative assurances.

In addition to infrastructure-related issues, ATLAM emphasized the need for more inclusive representation at the state level. The memorandum requested the appointment of an Additional Advocate General from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community to ensure that tribal perspectives and customary practices are adequately represented in legal proceedings.

The delegation also called for the appointment of local personnel as court staff in the hill districts, citing the benefits of linguistic familiarity and better administrative coordination.

Governor Bhalla gave a patient hearing to the representatives and assured them that the concerns raised would be looked into with urgency. The meeting was also attended by the Commissioner (Law), Government of Manipur.

ATLAM, speaking on behalf of the tribal legal fraternity, expressed hope that this dialogue would pave the way for tangible improvements in the judicial infrastructure and access to justice for Manipur’s hill districts.