Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has resigned from the Gauhati High Court Bar Association, citing a “moral conflict” over the association’s opposition to the proposed Judicial Township at Rangmahal in North Guwahati.
The Chief Minister’s resignation from the association comes amid a simmering debate over the relocation of the High Court from its premises in the heart of Guwahati to a new complex across the river.
In his letter addressed to the Bar Association president, Sarma emphasised the urgent need for modern infrastructure to accommodate a growing number of judges and to meet contemporary technological and administrative needs.
“The existing infrastructure of our High Court has miserably failed to meet present-day requirements, and the situation will only worsen,” Sarma wrote, drawing from his own experience as a practicing advocate from 1994 to 2001. He added that junior lawyers were particularly affected due to a lack of proper workspace and digital facilities.
Defending the state’s Rs 1,000 crore investment in the new complex, Sarma clarified that the site was not chosen arbitrarily or for political gain. He stated that the Rangmahal location was recommended by a High-Powered Committee in consultation with the Chief Justice and subsequently approved by the Full Court in 2023.
He argued that the move would benefit the judiciary in the long run, especially with new infrastructure projects such as the Guwahati-North Guwahati bridge and ring road set to drastically reduce commute times. Sarma also proposed converting the existing High Court complex into a judicial museum to preserve its historic legacy.
“This decision is in the larger interest of judicial reform, institutional growth, and the future of our legal system,” the Chief Minister stated, expressing confidence that the relocation would equip the next generation of lawyers with world-class facilities on par with national standards.