Imphal, June 23 :     Union minister of law, justice and company affairs Ram Jethmalani has turned down Manipur chief minister W. Nipamacha Singh's request to consider state advocate-general T. Nandakumar Singh for appointment as a judge in the Gauhati High Court. Jethmalani said Nandakumar Singh could be considered for appointment as a judge only if the Chief Justice of the High Court made a proposal in this regard. According to rules laid down by the Supreme Court in 1993, a panel of the three seniormost judges of any High Court, including the Chief Justice, is authorised to recommend such appointments. It was in August last year that Nipamacha Singh proposed an increase in the number of judges in the Imphal bench of the Gauhati High Court. However, Jethmalani ruled out any increase, saying the approved strength of the Gauhati High Court was 17 permanent judges and two additional judges. He said the number was fixed in 1987 after taking into account the relevant guidelines, workload and other factors. The strength was again reviewed on the basis of 'average institution and disposal of main cases' between 1993 and 1997 and the number of 'main cases' pending till September 1998, Jethmalani said. Official sources said the 'average institution of main cases' in the Imphal bench of the High Court between 1993 and 1997 was 1,607, as against 1,916 in Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. The number of pending cases in the Imphal bench till September 1998 was 921, as against 549 in the four other northeastern states having High Court benches. Nipamacha Singh reportedly suggested an increase in the number of judges in the Imphal bench as the number of cases registered with it was equivalent to the combined workload of the benches in Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. However, the Union law minister observed that the average rate of disposal of cases per year by each judge in the Gauhati High Court between 1993 and 1997 was 872, as against a national average of 1,363 during the same period. Jethmalani said the required strength of judges in the Gauhati High Court worked out to 12, while the approved strength was 19. Sources said Manipur intensified its demand for an additional judge after Tripura was allotted three judges despite the fact that the number of cases handled by the Imphal bench was much higher. The Imphal bench comprises two judges at present.