Jayalalithaa urges SC to allow use of Tamil as official language in HC

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Sunday urged the Centre and Supreme Court to reconsider their stand against authorising Tamil as official language in Madras High Court and said administration of justice needs to be taken closer to the people. A recent communication from the Centre had indicated that the long standing request of the state was considered by Supreme Court, but after due deliberations, it reiterated its earlier resolutions "not" to approve the proposal, she said. "If we are to take the administration of justice genuinely closer to the people, it is absolutely imperative that the local language is used in the High Court...," she told the joint conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices of high courts in Delhi. Ms. Jayalalithaa in her speech, read out by Tamil Nadu Law Minister K.P. Munusamy, said: "I urge the Government of India and the Supreme Court to reconsider their stand in this matter and fulfil the long standing aspiration and demand of the state to authorise use of Tamil in the High Court of Madras". In the speech, a copy of which was released to media here, she also sought increase in allocation of funds under the Centrally-sponsored scheme for judicial infrastructure. "I am constrained to point out that the flow of funds from the Central Government has been very paltry... no funds were released to Tamil Nadu in 2010-11 and 2011-12", she said, adding it was only after repeated follow up that Rs 19.53 crore was released to Tamil Nadu in 2012-13. She wanted allocation of funds to the state to be raised to Rs 70 crore per annum from 2013-14 to construction of own buildings for all courts by 2016. "My government will take all steps to ensure that the necessary infrastructure and manpower are provided to the judiciary for the speedier and efficient trial of cases," she added.