Meaningful cooperation between government and new CJI: Prasad

New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday said that there is meaningful cooperation between the government and new Chief Justice of India Justice Khehar and all concerns of judiciary will be addressed.

He also cited the effects of the government's November 8 decision of demonetisation which had resulted in sharp decline in terror funding and other criminal activity.

"There is meaningful cooperation between the government and the new Chief Justice of India Justice Khehar and all concerns of judiciary will be addressed," the Minister said at a seminar, jointly organised by the Press Club of India, Indian Women Press Corps and the Supreme Court Lawyers' Conference.

Prasad asserted that independence of judiciary and media and individual liberty was sacrosanct for the government.

He also said that accountability of political establishment was a positive feature of democracy.

"The strength of democracy lies in bringing in positive changes like eliminating poll violence from Bihar by the efforts of the Election Commission," he said.

Defending demonetisation, he contended that it had resulted in "sharp decline in terror funding, hawala trade, supari killings and human trafficking, particularly of young girls as sex slaves, mainly from Nepal and the North East".

Indicating that the government would not hesitate to take steps to widen the tax base, he said that development was not possible without enlarging the tax kitty.

"There is only about Rs 5 lakh crore in the kitty of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for development and it needs to grow," he said.

He said that a new India, much stronger in its unity and integrity, was emerging, transcending the barriers of caste, creed and religion.

"Our government is transformative government and tools of technology are actively aiding the good governance. There are 110 crore Aadhar cards and 104 crore mobile connections today. Digital governance means faster delivery and even poor and illiterate people in rural areas are showing a new confidence in embracing the digital technology which has given a new vision of hope," said Prasad, who also holds charge of Information Technology.