Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan today laid the foundation for an additional building of the Supreme Court, which is likely to solve the problem of space crunch in the existing structure.
The workload and the strength of judges have increased manifold since the present building got operational in 1958.
The CJI said the new building will a big relief for the Supreme Court staff who have been "suffocating" for want of space.
"We were suffocating for space for the last several years. The Supreme Court staff have been working in a miserable and pitiable condition. This building would be a great asset for the Supreme Court," the CJI said.
The building, to come up in three years, will be opposite the present one and spread over an area of around 12 acres.
Justice S H Kapadia, who is to take over the reins of the highest judiciary after the retirement of Balakrishnan next month, said proper infrastructure must be provided to courts for their effective functioning.
"There are many courts in remote areas which have no infrastructure because of financial constraints. We in Delhi are lucky to get funds. Time has come to think about subordinate judiciary to make them comfortable as far as their working is concerned," Justice Kapadia said.
The Supreme Court had started functioning in the present building with eight judges in 1958. With the passage of time and rise in number of cases, the government increased the strength of judges which at present stands at 31 but due to lack of space, the structure could not be extended.
With the construction of the building, the Supreme Court would get its own symposium, auditorium, spacious library and other facilities for judges and lawyers.