Lok Sabha Question No. 2880 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-10
Subject: Gram Nayayalayas
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Amol Ramsing Kolhe, Kuldeep Rai Sharma, Heena Vijaykumar Gavit, Mohanbhai Kalyanji Kundariya, Sunil Dattatray Tatkare, Supriya Sadanand Sule, Subhash Ramrao Bhamre

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LAW & JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2880

TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, THE 10 TH  JULY, 2019.

## Gram Nayayalayas

## 2880. DR. AMOL RAMSING KOLHE:

SHRI KULDEEP RAI SHARMA:

DR. HEENA GAVIT:

SHRI MOHANBHAI KALYANJI KUNDARIYA:

SHRI SUNIL DATTATRAY TATKARE:

SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

DR. SUBHASH RAMRAO BHAMRE:

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

- (a) whether Gram Nayayalayas have been established to provide speedy, effective and easy justice to the people and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  whether  the  Central  Government  has  requested  States  and  High  Courts  for establishment of Gram Nayayalayas in the respective States;
- (c) if so, the number of States / UTs that have established and operationalised Gram Nayayalayas;
- (d) the details of financial assistance provided to each State Government and Union Territory during the last three years and the current year for setting up of Gram Nayayalayas;
- (e) whether the delivery of justice through Gram Nayayalayas is faster than ordinary courts and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) the time by which Gram Nayayalayas are likely to be functional in all the States?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF LAW AND JUSTICE, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

(a)  to  (c):  To  provide  access  to  justice  to  the  citizens  at  their  door  steps,  the  Central Government has enacted the Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008.  It provides for establishment of Gram  Nyayalayas  at intermediate panchayat level. The  State  Governments  are responsible  for  establishing  Gram  Nyayalayas  in  consultation  with  the  respective  High Courts.    As  per  information  made  available  by  State  Governments  /  High  Courts,  353 Gram  Nyayalayas  have  been  notified  so  far  by  11  States.    Out  of  these,  213  are operational in 9 States at present.

The  Central  Government  has  requested  the  Chief  Ministers  of  States  and  Chief Justices  of  High  Courts  for  setting  up  of  Gram  Nyayalayas  in  the  respective  States. Registrars  General  of  High  Courts  and  Law  /  Home  /  Finance  Secretaries  of  State Governments were requested through video conferences held in January 2018, July 2018 and  November,  2018,  to  set  up  Gram  Nyayalayas  and  seek  financial  assistance  for operationalising them under the Scheme mentioned above.

(d)  :  The  Central  Government  has  been  encouraging  the  States  to  set  up  Gram Nyayalayas by providing financial assistance.  As per the scheme for assistance to State Governments for establishing and operating Gram Nyayalayas, the Central Government provides one-time assistance to States towards non-recurring expenses for setting up of Gram  Nyayalayas  subject  to  a  ceiling  of  Rs.  18.00  lakhs  per  Gram  Nyayalaya.    The Central  Government  also  provides  assistance  towards  recurring  expenses  for  operating these  Gram Nyayalayas subject to a ceiling of Rs. 3.20 lakhs per Gram Nyayalaya per year for the first three years.

The financial assistance provided to State Governments during last three years for setting up of Gram Nyayalayas are as under:

(Rs. in lakh)

| S No   | State         |   2016-17 |   2017-18 |   2018-19 |
|--------|---------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| 1      | Maharashtra   |         0 |        79 |      0    |
| 2.     | Uttar Pradesh |       500 |       346 |    349.78 |
| 3.     | Kerala        |         0 |       375 |    450.22 |
| Total  | Total         |       500 |       800 |    800    |

No financial assistance has been provided to any State so far, during current financial year (2019-20).

(e) & (f): The Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008 has been enacted to provide access to justice to the  citizens  at  their  door  steps.    The  issues  affecting  operationalization  of  the  Gram Nyayalayas were discussed in the Conference of Chief Justices of High Courts and Chief Ministers of the States on 7 th April, 2013.  It was decided in the Conference that the State Governments  and  High  Courts  should  decide  the  question  of  setting  up  of  Gram Nyayalayas  wherever  feasible,  taking  into  account  the  local  issues  and  situation.    It  is, therefore,  upto  State  Governments  and  High  Courts  to  set  up  Gram  Nyayalayas accordingly.

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