By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 9 May: The Pushkar Singh Dhami Government is displeased with the fact that it has had to suffer repeated losses in court due to the arbitrary consent given by its advocates on facts that are not part of the official affidavits filed by the government. It feels that this practice is leading to weakening of the cases and then resulting in unfavourable verdicts. In order to address the issue, the government has issued directions that the counsels for the government will now be required to provide a clear basis or reason for expressing consent in the courts beyond what is mentioned in the counter affidavits filed by the government.
Sources claim that this matter was discussed in detail during a recent meeting of the Secretaries’ Committee, chaired by Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan. During the meeting, the officials stated that, during the hearings held in the High Court, the counsels for the government often agree to certain facts that are neither included in the counter affidavit nor backed by official instructions. This weakens the government’s position, making it difficult to appeal against adverse rulings.
To streamline legal proceedings, the committee decided to establish an online system within the Chief Standing Counsel’s Office. This system will document all case-related details from initiation to resolution, including counter affidavits, correspondence, and High Court orders. The initiative will extend to both criminal and civil cases, ensuring greater transparency and accountability in the litigations involving the government.
Sources also claim that the Chief Minister had recently expressed his concerns over legal arbitrariness in various judicial matters, with similar issues being raised in other states. The CM is understood to have directed the Chief Secretary to take steps to resolve the issue.
