Cuttack: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Saturday inaugurated the new building of the Centre for Judicial Archives of the Orissa High Court in Cuttack.
The centre’s new building, built at the cost of Rs 38 crore, was inaugurated by the Chief Minister in the presence of Chief Justice of Orissa High Court Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh, Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan, judges of the High Court and other dignitaries.
“The centre will be a preserver of not only judicial records but also of culture. The state government is committed to providing all assistance, including financial, administrative and technological support, to the centre,” the chief minister said.
“This centre will serve as a repository of the rich heritage of our legal system. It will be a storehouse of historical judgments and cases delivered while upholding the values of democracy, equality and impartiality,” he said.
The centre was established May 10, 2022 in a room on High Court premises and the new building is located adjacent to the High Court.
“The centre will perpetuate the legal landscape of India including Odisha and act as a bridge between the past and the future. I am confident that this centre will be a beacon of knowledge and an inspiration for judicial education across the country,” he said.
In his address, Chief Justice Singh highlighted the significance of setting up the centre, stating that many endangered important historic records of the court have failed to attract the attention of state archives for preservation.
“The archive is meant for care, conservation and consultation of the oldest records,” Justice Singh said.
He thanked the state government for not only funding, but also providing all kinds of assistance as and when sought for by the court for setting up the centre.
Law Minister Harichandan, in his address, spoke on the relevance of the centre which will be a “torch-bearer not only for the state but also for the nation”.
Delivering the welcome address, High Court judge Justice Sanjeeb Kumar Panigrahi said, “The centre will safeguard and conserve the fragile judicial records of the High Court and district courts across Odisha. The centre has, till December 31 last year, preserved around 75,000 judicial records predating 1950. Out of these, over 4,132 files — comprising nearly 84,888 sheets — have undergone scientific conservation, and 1,151 files have been digitised. This achievement is monumental, not just for its scale but for its significance.”
Among others, Advocate General Pitambar Acharya, Deputy Solicitor General of India for the Orissa High Court Prasanna Kumar Parhi attended the function.
PTI
