Sikkim State Judicial Academy “Nyaya Dwar” to come up at Sokeythang

GANGTOK, 15 May: Supreme Court Judge, Justice Altamas Kabir, laid the foundation stone of the Sikkim State Judicial Academy at Sokeythang here yesterday accompanied by the Chief Justice of Sikkim Permod Kholi and Sikkim High Court Judge Sonam Pintso Wangdi on Monday.
The Academy will be second in the North East Region after the first one in Guwahati. The 1.5 acre plot at Sokeythang near Lingding basti will house an administrative building, miscellaneous block, and hostel for trainees, conference room, VIP guest rooms, swimming pool and residential quarters.
The cost of the project is estimated at Rs 30 crore and the task of construction has been given to the Buildings & Housing Department.
Justice Kabir while addressing the gathering said that the Judicial Academy would prove to be a milestone in the administration of justice in the State and would also be a place to deliberate on and exchange ideas.
He said that that the powers of judiciary should be exercised for strengthening the common people's faith in the administration of justice and the judicial officers ought to be conversant with the latest legislations and maintain poise and steadiness in their functioning.
“The new complex will cater to the academic, administrative and residential needs of the Judicial Academy in imparting training and judicial education to newly inducted civil judges, judicial magistrates and district judges as well as in arranging continuous judicial education programmes for in-service judicial officers and prosecutors. It will also conduct training courses for new prosecutors” said Justice Kohli in his address.
He also said that the new Judicial Academy would be named ‘Nyaya Dwar’ (the temple of justice).
Justice Wangdi in his welcome address informed that the proposal of setting up the academy was taken up on August 2009 and the 13th Finance Commission has earmarked the fund of Rs 15 crore for the establishment of Judicial Academy in every Indian state.
The Chief Engineer of Building and Housing Department Chewang Zangpo also addressed the gathering.