Hiked allocation brings hope for pending cases

“In 1978,a notification was issued to start a permanent High Court bench in Pune. It was either not followed up or was postponed due to lack of funds. However,with the centre releasing money to bring justice to the doorstep of the common man,judicial infrastructure modernisation and circuit HC benches in various cities is not impossible,” said Pune Bar Association president Milind Pawar.

Advocate Ahmedkhan Pathan,Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa member from Pune,said,“Last year’s budget talked of bringing down pendency from 15 years to three by 2012. This is possible by filling vacant posts,introducing new posts for judges and upgrading court infrastructure.”

According to Pathan,the are 1,500 judges’ posts vacant in the country,15 of them in the Bombay High Court.

“There are many judges who sit in makeshift rooms or even in corridors in district and taluka-level courts. The amount has to be properly utilised tp upgrade judicial infrastructure,” he said.

Part-time member of the Law Commission and principal of Symbiosis Law School,Shashikala Gurpur,said,“There has been a substantial rise in allocation this year. The allocation to set up gram nyayalayas (rural courts) has been increased from Rs 39 crore to Rs 145 crore. The act to set up these courts was passed in 2009 and respective states were to utilise the allocated funds. Maharashtra is yet to initiate the process of setting up these courts.” In the 1,000-crore allocation,funds for upgrading infrastructure has been increased from Rs 108 crore to Rs 467 core. “There are around three crore cases pending in subordinate courts. Setting up rural courts and upgrading infrastructure are trong steps to reduce pendency,” Gurpur said