Mumbai: The state government has informed the Bombay high court that work on reconstructing the Thane district court building will be started soon after the plan is approved by the principal district judge within 3-4 weeks. The government pleader further informed the court that the budget for the construction is expected to be approved in the monsoon session of the Maharashtra Assembly.

The state filed its reply in response to a writ filed by a Thane based NGO complaining of the court premise being in a dilapidated condition and in urgent need of reconstruction as it could not be repaired. The petition prayed that if the same was not done expeditiously, lives of the judges and visitors to the court would be in danger.

A division bench of Justices Naresh Patil and Bharathi Dangre was hearing the writ petition filed by Vidhi Foundation, an NGO in 2016 that had based its prayers on the report of the government auditor that had stated that the district court building was in a dangerous condition.  The petition prayed that despite the report the state and the law and judiciary department was not taking any steps thus jeopardising the lives of all those who visited it regularly.