Rs2.360b set aside for judiciary

LAHORE
THE Punjab government has made a budgetary allocation of Rs2.360 billion for the judiciary under heads of “public buildings” including ongoing and new schemes for the fiscal year 2015-16.
The programme aimed at providing better infrastructure to judges and facilities to the litigants. In the budget document, under the head of judiciary, a huge amount of Rs460 million allocated for construction of courts along with allied facilities for judicial officers in Punjab; Rs300 million allocated for construction of residence of judicial officers in Punjab. An amount of Rs30 million has been allocated for construction of judicial complex (Phase-II) at Lahore and an amount of Rs20 million has been allocated for addition/alteration in the Lahore High Court. An amount of Rs3.765 million earmarked for construction of court block record room, committee room, toilet block and additional room on the premises of the Model Town Courts, Lahore.
An amount of Rs20 million allocated for enhancing security on the court premises in Punjab, including construction of boundary wall around the civil and sessions courts in the province. For construction of judicial complex at Pattoki, Rs39.83 million has been allocated. Most of ongoing and news schemes of judiciary had been shown under the head of public buildings. An estimated amount of Rs76 million earmarked for the establishment of family/guardian courts complexes in every district of Punjab. Allocation of Rs2.266 billion will be used for 72 ongoing schemes of judiciary and nine new schemes would be initiated with allocation of Rs94.189 million.
Under the head of public buildings, the targets for the financial year 2015-16 are completion of judicial complex at Multan, Shahkot, Nankana Sahib and Sangla Hill, construction of residences for judicial officers at Karor Lal Easson, Layyah.
Ironically, not even a single penny has been allocated to establish or improve facilitates for litigants who are the number one stakeholder in judicial system. A number of new schemes would be launched, including construction of residential buildings for class-IV staff attached with judges at the Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi bench, provision of alternative source of supply of electricity at judges’ rest house Gulistan Colony at Rawalpindi; additional/alteration on the LHC premises, (preservation of old buildings-Western Block) and construction of underground parking at new GPO gate of the Lahore High Court.
Under the head of new schemes, Rs15 million have been allocated for conversion of half of the record room space into cafeteria at Lahore High Court, Lahore, up-gradation of security arrangements of judges rest house at Gulgasht Colony; Rs15 million have been earmarked for purchase and installation of air conditioners in Lahore High court, Lahore.