The Himachal Pradesh High Court imposed a penalty of Rs 10 lakh on the government for failing to follow through on its directions to improve judicial infrastructure, remarking that its assurances were merely “hollow promises.” A division bench led by Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia expressed serious concern over the lack of progress, noting that nearly three months had passed without any visible action to implement earlier orders regarding the establishment of courts and judicial positions. The court made these observations while hearing a public interest litigation titled Court on its own motion vs State of HP and others, which highlights deficiencies in the state’s judicial infrastructure.

The bench criticized the government for not acting on its directive to establish 34 courts and additional posts, instead proposing courts in subdivisions where no demand existed—an approach the court found difficult to understand. It also pointed out that proposals for key judicial appointments, including Civil Judges and Additional District Judges, remain pending despite being placed before the Cabinet.

Raising concerns about increasing case backlogs, especially under the NDPS Act, the court noted that the Centre had repeatedly advised the state to set up Special Courts. However, the state has failed to enhance infrastructure, even while claiming efforts to make Himachal drug-free. The bench emphasized that Special Courts cannot function without proper infrastructure and said the state had fallen short of expectations.

The court directed the Principal Secretary (Finance) to submit details of the judiciary’s budget allocation, including a comparison with the previous year and any increases made. It also reiterated earlier concerns about the government’s resistance to infrastructure expansion, stating that recent developments validate those observations. As a strong measure, the court ordered the state to deposit Rs 10 lakh with the court registry and warned that stricter action could follow if proactive steps are not taken. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on May 4, 2026.