Rajkot: The long-standing demand for a Gujarat High Court bench in Rajkot has gained momentum once again, with Rajya Sabha MP Ram Mokaria writing to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, urging immediate action. The demand, first raised by the Rajkot Bar Association in 2015, has seen multiple representations over the years but remains unresolved. Mokaria has said that the state government is positive about the proposal.

In 2022, following requests from the Bar Association, Mokaria wrote to then Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, who in his reply stated that any decision on a new bench would depend on recommendations of the Jaswant Singh Commission, the Supreme Court’s judgment in W.P.(C) No. 379 of 2000, and a comprehensive proposal from the state government, including infrastructure readiness and approval from the Chief Justice and Governor.

Subsequently, Mokaria also wrote to the Chief Minister in March 2023, citing key reasons for the bench in Rajkot: remote districts like Porbandar, Gir Somnath, Devbhoomi Dwarka, and Kutch face distances of up to 500 km to reach Ahmedabad, which could be reduced by nearly half if a bench is set up in Rajkot. He also noted that 40% of pending cases in the Gujarat High Court originate from Saurashtra, making a Rajkot bench essential to ease Ahmedabad’s caseload.

Rajkot’s strong connectivity by road and rail, the availability of infrastructure such as the new Sessions Court on Jamnagar Road, and the precedent of High Court benches in neighboring states were also cited as supporting arguments.

With fresh written and oral representations made to the state government earlier this month, the demand for a Rajkot bench has resurfaced strongly. The state government, according to Mokaria, has shown a constructive approach to the proposal. DeshGujarat