Lok Sabha Question No. 5437 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-28
Subject: Fast Track Courts
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: KAPIL MORESHWAR PATIL, P.K.SREEMATHI TEACHER

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5437

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, THE 28 th  MARCH, 2018

## Fast Track Courts

## † 5437. SHRI KAPIL MORESHWAR PATIL: SHRIMATI P.K. SREEMATHI TEACHER:

Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken sufficient steps including the setting up of Fast Track Courts (FTCs) for the quick disposal of the cases of  crime committed against women, children, deprived communities and minority communities in the country including the North Eastern Region;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the  number  of  cases  related  to  racial  crime,  hate  crimes,  rapes  and  sexual  harassment cases registered in various High Courts and in the Supreme Court along with the number of such cases disposed of by FTCs, court-wise during each of the last three years and the current year;
- (d) the steps taken by the Government to provide legal aid to the victims of such crime to ensure speedy justice; and
- (e) the State/UT-wise details of FTCs functioning in the country?

## ANSWER Minister of State for Law & Justice and Corporate Affairs (SHRI P.P. CHAUDHARY)

(a) & (b): The setting up of subordinate courts, which includes Fast Track Courts (FTCs), lies within  the  domain  of  the  State  Governments  who  set  up  such  courts  as  per  their  need  and resources, in consultation with the respective High Courts.

The Union Government in its Memorandum to the 14 th Finance Commission proposed setting up of 1800 FTCs in the country, including the North-Eastern Region, at a cost of Rs.4144 crore for trial of cases of heinous crimes involving senior citizens, women,  children and other vulnerable  sections  of  the  society  over  a  period  of  five  years  (2015-20).  The  14 th Finance Commission endorsed the proposal of the Government and urged the State Governments to use the additional fiscal space provided by the Commission in the form of enhanced tax devolution (from 32% to 42%) to meet such requirements. The States are expected to set up such FTCs from the additional tax devolution provided to them.

(c): The number of cases related to  racial  crime,  hate  crimes,  rapes  and  sexual  harassment cases registered in various High Courts and in the Supreme Court along with the number of such cases disposed of by FTCs, court-wise during each of the last three years and the current year is not maintained at the Union Government level.

(d): Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 has set up legal services institutions right from the taluk  level  to  Supreme  Court  level  to  provide  free  legal  services  to  all  the  persons  including women, children, SC & ST as separate categories eligible under Section 12 of the Legal Services Authorities Act.

Free legal services include payment of court fees, providing advocate and preparation of paper  book,  etc.    Legal  Services  Authorities  Act,  1987  provides  for  free  legal  services  to  the victims of crimes including women and children irrespective of their income.

National  Legal  Services  Authority  (NALSA)  has  framed  the  NALSA  (Free  and Competent Legal Services) Regulation, 2010 to ensure quality legal services and to monitor the progress of the free legal aid cases filed in the courts.  A woman/child/SC/ST etc. can approach anyone of the legal services functionaries right from the taluka level to Supreme Court level with an application for legal assistance for prosecuting or defending his/her case as mentioned above.

(e): The States/UTs-wise details of FTCs functioning in the country is given in the Annexure.

## ANNEXURE

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (e) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  5437  TO  BE  ANSWERED  ON  28.03.2018 REGARDING FTCs

| NAME OF THE STATES/UTS                      | NUMBER OF FAST TRACKS COURTS FUNCTIONAL   |
|---------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
| Andhra Pradesh and Telangana                | 72                                        |
| Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram | -                                         |
| Bihar                                       | 55                                        |
| Chhattisgarh                                | 21                                        |
| Delhi                                       | 14                                        |
| Goa                                         | 4                                         |
| Gujarat                                     | 0                                         |
| Haryana                                     | 0                                         |
| Himachal Pradesh                            | 0                                         |
| Jammu &Kashmir                              | 5*                                        |
| Jharkhand                                   | 14                                        |
| Karnataka                                   | 0                                         |
| Kerala                                      | 0                                         |
| Madhya Pradesh                              | 0                                         |
| Maharashtra                                 | 100                                       |
| Manipur                                     | 3                                         |
| Meghalaya                                   | 0                                         |
| Odisha                                      | 0                                         |
| Punjab                                      | 0                                         |
| Puducherry                                  | -                                         |
| Rajasthan                                   | 0                                         |
| Sikkim                                      | 2                                         |
| Tamil Nadu                                  | 69                                        |
| Tripura                                     | 3                                         |
| Uttar Pradesh                               | 273                                       |
| Uttarakhand                                 | 4                                         |
| West Bengal                                 | 88                                        |
| Total                                       | 727                                       |