Mumbai, Mar 9 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has requested Chief Justice of Bombay High Court Dipankar Datta for allowing to constitute a High Court bench in Kolhapur. According to Minister of State for Home Satej Patil, the Chief Minister has written a letter in response to the recent all-party meeting from six districts in Kolhapur over the demand. Thackeray had held a meeting on the demand of the High Court Bench in Kolhapur on Tuesday at Vidhan Bhavan, he informed. “As assured to the elected representatives from six districts during a meeting held yesterday for the High Court bench in Kolhapur, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has immediately written to Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court Dipankar Datta,” he said. “Thackeray was positive about the Bench and said the necessary steps would be taken. On the day after the assurance, the Chief Minister wrote a letter to the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court,” said Patil. According to the report submitted by the then Chief Justice of Bombay High Court Mohit Shah, the Circuit Bench for six districts at Kolhapur is possible. The Circuit Bench is the need of the hour for the convenience of the public and the advocates from the six districts. Citizens from these six districts are compelled to travel for 400 to 500 km to attend the proceedings in Bombay High Court. The Circuit Bench at Kolhapur will not only save money and time of the people, but will also give them respite from mental annoyance, elected representatives said in the meeting. “According to a survey conducted in 2005, the Kolhapur Bench would have reduced 45 per cent of the burden on Bombay High Court. Considering the current pendency of the cases in Bombay High Court, the Circuit Bench at Kolhapur will help reduce 60 per cent burden on the High Court,” Patil added. AAA SS 1925