Silchar, May 7: The long-standing demand for establishing a permanent Bench of the Gauhati High Court in Barak Valley has gained renewed momentum after the High Court Bench Demand Implementation Committee, Cachar district unit, submitted a detailed 112-page memorandum before the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court.
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The District and Sessions Judge Court complex in Cachar, Silchar, amid renewed demands for a permanent Bench of the Gauhati High Court in Barak Valley. |
The memorandum, submitted as a continuation of an earlier representation made on January 12, 2026, was signed by senior advocate Dharmananda Deb on behalf of the committee. It presents extensive legal, constitutional, infrastructural and administrative arguments supporting the establishment of a permanent High Court Bench in Silchar.
According to the representation, litigants from the districts of Cachar, Sribhumi, Hailakandi and Dima Hasao are often compelled to travel nearly 350 to 400 kilometres to Guwahati to attend court proceedings, causing significant financial and logistical hardship, particularly for economically weaker sections and rural residents.
The memorandum also highlighted recurring floods, landslides and weak transport and communication infrastructure in southern Assam, which frequently disrupt travel and delay judicial proceedings.
Invoking Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, the committee argued that accessible justice forms an integral part of the fundamental rights to equality and personal liberty. The representation cited landmark Supreme Court judgments, including Anita Kushwaha v. Pushap Sudan, which recognised access to justice as a fundamental right encompassing affordability and accessibility.
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The committee further noted that although earlier proposals for a permanent Bench were rejected in 2014 and 2015, the present circumstances have significantly changed due to improved infrastructure, increased litigation, better connectivity and sustained public demand.
The memorandum stated that the combined population of Barak Valley and Dima Hasao exceeds 4.7 million and pointed out that thousands of cases originating from the region remain pending, strengthening the demand for decentralised judicial access.
Drawing comparisons with the establishment of the Calcutta High Court’s Jalpaiguri Bench, the committee argued that Barak Valley possesses equally strong demographic, administrative and logistical grounds for the establishment of a permanent Bench in Silchar.
