SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh High Court has taken a big step toward making justice easier to access for common people.

 Chief Justice of the High Court Gurmeet Singh Sandhwalia  virtually inaugurated 22 new eSewa Kendras in different courts across the state. These centres will help people get basic legal information and services without needing to go through complicated procedures.

The eSewa Kendras have been set up at Rohroo, Reckong Peo, Bilaspur, Nadaun, Una, Amb, Kangra, Mandi, Sundernagar, Shimla, Rampur, Nahan, Nalagarh, Paonta Sahib, Dalhousie, Solan, Ghumarwin, Hamirpur, Dharamshala, Chamba, Kullu and Manali.

While launching the centres, the Chief Justice said the COVID-19 pandemic had forced courts to shut down, which led to the introduction of hybrid hearings.

To help those without internet access or smartphones, the Supreme Court had come up with the idea of eSewa Kendras. The first such centre in Himachal was opened at the High Court in 2020.

Later, the Supreme Court's eCommittee gave Rs 48 lakh for building porta cabins, which have now been installed at 22 locations.

The Chief Justice also said that 17 more eSewa Kendras will be added under the third phase of the eCourts Project.

These eSewa Kendras will offer many services like checking case status, next hearing date, eFiling of cases, help in applying for certified copies, e-signing documents, buying eStamp papers online, booking eMulakat appointments with jail inmates, and even settling traffic challans through Virtual Courts.

People can also get soft copies of court orders through email or WhatsApp.

Justice Ajay Mohan Goel, Chairman of the eCommittee, said this is an important step toward closing the digital gap and ensuring justice is available to everyone. Trained attendants will be present at each Kendra to help people and guide them.

The virtual launch was attended by several other Judges of the High Court, including Justices Tarlok Singh Chauhan, Sandeep Sharma, Jyotsna Rewal Dua, Satyen Vaidya, Sushil Kukreja, Virender Singh, Ranjan Sharma, Bipin C. Negi, and Rakesh Kainthla, along with the Registrar General and other court officers.

This move is expected to make the judicial system more transparent, digital-friendly, and inclusive for people across Himachal Pradesh.