The West Bengal assembly Monday passed a legislation raising the pecuniary jurisdiction of Kolkata city civil court to Rs.1 crore from the existing Rs.10 lakh.
The City Civil Court (Amendment) Bill, 2013 got the approval of the house after a division of votes as demanded by the opposition.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the poor people will stand to gain with the ten-fold increase in the monetary limit of the civil suits admissible in the City Civil Court.
Lawyers practising in the court have for long been demanding an increase in the pecuniary limit, but their peers in the Calcutta High Court have expressed their disapproval.
To resolve the dispute, the government moved an amendment during the day giving the litigants the freedom to file their suits in either court.
Now, the two courts will have concurrent jurisdiction over civil suits valued between Rs.10 lakh and Rs.1 crore.
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While Leader of Opposition Surya Kanta Mishra opposed the concurrent jurisdiction clause, arguing such a system did not exist in any other state, Banerjee defended it.
She said the moneyed litigants could choose the high court, and the poor ones the city civil court.