Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has called for more judicial accountability and even accused the Bombay High Court of grabbing land and taking over bungalows in Goa.
“Even (for) the High Court, which is coming here, land has been taken by the court by its own order. This is not permitted. You cannot decide for yourself,” Parrikar said. Parrikar was speaking in the State legislative Assembly during a discussion on the constitutional amendment pertaining to the Judicial Accountability Bill.
The Bombay High Court bench in Goa is presently functioning in a non-Government building in Altinho in Panaji and will be soon shifted to a new building in a new location. The land, mentioned by the Chief Minister, lies in Betim, located near Panaji.
Citing another instance, Parrikar said that the court had also similarly ‘grabbed’ land for a district court. “The court has virtually grabbed RDA (Rural Development Agency) land for the District Court (complex),” Parrikar said.
Parrikar also said that in the past there has been instances where bungalows in Goa have been “virtually taken over by the judiciary”. He, however, didn’t name any specific instances or judges involved.
“I will show you the bungalows which have been taken over by the judiciary,” Parrikar said, even as the House ratified the Judicial Accountability Bill. late week, lawyer-activist Aires Rodrigues accused the Government machinery at the behest of Parrikar of replacing a judge dealing with corruption cases.
Parrikar also said that judiciary has to be more accountable because its decisions have an impact on the economic trajectory of the country. “Today I am sorry to say that we have spent $25 billion in importing coal when India has the second largest coal reserves in the world,” he further said, suggesting that the long drawn judicial standoff which led to a freeze on the country’s coal industry.