''The government is keen to set up a separate high court, but it was up to the Central government to give the final nod,'' Mr Lanong told legislators during the Question Hour.
Presently, Meghalaya has only a permanent bench of Guahati High Court, set up in Shillong on February 4, 1995.
''Infrastructure facilities need to be developed and more judges and judicial officers should be appointed before setting up a separate high court,'' Mr Lanong said.
Further, Mr Lanong informed that the state government had written to the chief justice of Gauhati High Court for appointment of more judicial officers as well as judges since the state has its own quota of judges to be filled up by the high court.
Replying to query of Manas Chaudhuri (Ind), the Deputy Chief Minister said the demand for setting up of a separate high court was first initiated in 1986.
''Last year during the meeting of the law ministers of the country, I had taken up the issue with the union law minister and he assured me that the Centre was willing to set up a separate high court'', Mr Lanong said.
He also said the Union Law Minister recently assured a delegation of North East MPs that separate high courts will be set up in Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura.