Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said opposition to shifting the Gauhati High Court will lose relevance once the new Brahmaputra bridge opens, reducing travel time between Guwahati and North Guwahati to just 20–25 minutes.
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GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to building a modern, integrated judicial complex in North Guwahati, dismissing concerns raised by a section of lawyers over travel time and accessibility.
The foundation stone for the ambitious project was laid at Rangmahal in Kamrup district on Sunday by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, marking a significant milestone in Assam’s judicial infrastructure development. Once completed, the integrated complex will house the Gauhati High Court, district courts, and other allied judicial facilities under one campus.
The proposal, however, has not been without controversy. The Gauhati High Court Bar Association has opposed the relocation, arguing that commuting to North Guwahati would take nearly two hours, causing inconvenience to lawyers and litigants.
Responding to these concerns, Chief Minister Sarma emphasized that infrastructure developments already underway would soon render such arguments irrelevant.
“In a democracy, a government should respect all opposition,” Sarma said. “But the contention that it will take two hours to reach the new site will not hold ground once the new bridge over the Brahmaputra is inaugurated.”
The Chief Minister highlighted that the Guwahati–North Guwahati bridge, scheduled to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister next month, will drastically cut travel time. According to Sarma, commuting from Dighalipukhuri, near the current High Court location, to Rangmahal would take just 20–25 minutes via the new bridge.
He added that the government would reassess public opinion after March 1:
“After March 1, we will accept whether our decision to build the new integrated complex at Rangmahal is correct or wrong.”
Sarma also thanked the residents of Rangmahal for their cooperation in land acquisition, noting that property values in the area are expected to rise significantly once major infrastructure projects are completed. These include another bridge over the Brahmaputra and the Guwahati Ring Road, both of which are expected to transform connectivity and urban development in the region.
Drawing from his own experience as a former Gauhati High Court lawyer before entering politics in 2001, Sarma stressed that the existing court building can no longer meet the demands of a growing state.
“With time, aspirations change. We need to move forward. Our attempt is that this new complex reflects our new Assam.”
The Assam government plans to invest ₹1,700 crore in the project, with construction of the first phase set to begin soon. Once completed, the integrated judicial complex is expected to provide a modern, efficient, and future-ready environment for the judiciary, legal professionals, and citizens alike.
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