Lok Sabha Question No. 3734 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-11
Subject: Pending Court Cases
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Abdul Khaleque

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3734

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, 11 th  DECEMBER, 2019.

## Pending Court Cases

## 3734. SHRI ABDUL KHALEQUE:

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

- (a)  the number  of  cases  pending  in  various courts of  Assam  including subordinate  courts and the reasons for pendency;
- (b)   whether poor infrastructure is one of the main reasons  and if so, the details thereof  along  with  the  efforts  made  by  the  Government  to  improve  the infrastructure of subordinate courts in the State; and
- (c)  the  details  of  the  measures  proposed to be initiated by the Government to speed up disposal of cases in subordinate courts in the country including Assam?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF LAW AND JUSTICE, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

(a): As per information available on the National Judicial Data Grid, as on 05.12.2019, there are 2,92,224 cases pending in the District and Subordinate Courts in the State of Assam. The district-wise number of cases pending in the State of Assam is given in the

Annexure .

As regards reasons for pendency of cases in courts, timely disposal of cases in courts  depends  on  several  factors  which,  inter-alia,  include  availability  of  adequate number of judges, supporting court staff and physical infrastructure, complexity of facts involved,  nature  of  evidence,  co-operation  of  stake  holders  viz.  bar,  investigation agencies,  witnesses  and  litigants  and  proper  application  of  rules  and  procedures  to monitor, track and bunch cases for hearing.

(b):  It  is  the  primary  responsibility  of  the  State  Governments  to  provide  judicial infrastructure including court halls and residential units for High Courts and District and Subordinate Courts. To supplement these efforts, the Union Government is implementing a Centrally Sponsored  Scheme  for  Development  of Infrastructure Facilities for Judiciary by providing financial assistance to State Governments / UTs in the prescribed fund sharing pattern between Centre and States. The Scheme is being implemented  since  1993-94.  It  covers  the  construction  of  court  halls  and  court complexes  and  residential accommodations  for  Judicial Officers of District and Subordinate  Judiciary.  In  the  case  of  Assam,  a  sum  of Rs.201.34  crore has  been sanctioned  till  05.12.2019  since  the  inception  of  the  Scheme,  out  of  which  Rs.83.63 crore  has  been  sanctioned  since  2014-15  (which  is  around 42% of  the  total  release under  the  Scheme).  During  the  current  financial  year  2019-20,  a  sum  of Rs.  31.54 crore has been sanctioned to the State of Assam. Under this scheme, in the State of Assam, 371 court halls and 294 residential units have been made available for Judicial Officers  of  District  and  Subordinate  Courts  as  on  05.12.2019  against  the  working strength of 412 Judicial Officers. In addition, 67 court halls and 31 residential units are under construction in the State of Assam.

(c)  The  Government  is  committed  to  speedy  disposal  of  cases  and  reduction  in pendency of cases. The Union Government has taken several initiatives to provide an ecosystem for faster disposal of cases by the judiciary. The National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms has adopted a coordinated approach to effect for phased liquidation of arrears and pendency at various levels of judicial administration through many strategic initiatives, including improving infrastructure [court halls and residential units] for Judicial Officers of District and Subordinate Courts, leveraging Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for better justice delivery, filling up of vacant positions of Judges in High Courts and Supreme Court, reduction in pendency through follow up by Arrears Committees at District, High Court and Supreme Court level, emphasis on Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) and initiatives to fast track special type of cases. In addition, all  stakeholders including Judicial Officers can access information relating to judicial proceedings/decisions of computerized District & Subordinate Courts and High Courts on the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG). Currently litigants can access case status information in respect of over 12.23 crore pending and disposed cases and more than  10.26  crore  orders  /  judgments  pertaining  to  these  computerized  courts  from NJDG.  Also,  pending  cases  are  considered  and  disposed  in  Lok  Adalats  conducted under  National  Legal  Services  Authority  (NALSA).  172.60  lakh  pending  cases  have been settled in National Lok Adalat from 2015 till date while 88.40 lakh pending cases have been settled in Regular Lok Adalats during 2015-16 to June, 2019.

Annexure

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| District-wise Number of Cases Pending in District and Subordinate Courts of Assam (As on 05.12.2019)   | District-wise Number of Cases Pending in District and Subordinate Courts of Assam (As on 05.12.2019)   | District-wise Number of Cases Pending in District and Subordinate Courts of Assam (As on 05.12.2019)   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S. No.                                                                                                 | State                                                                                                  | Number of cases                                                                                        |
| 1.                                                                                                     | Baksa                                                                                                  | 2793                                                                                                   |
| 2.                                                                                                     | Barpeta                                                                                                | 15922                                                                                                  |
| 3.                                                                                                     | Bongaigaon                                                                                             | 6097                                                                                                   |
| 4.                                                                                                     | Cachar                                                                                                 | 21587                                                                                                  |
| 5.                                                                                                     | Chirang                                                                                                | 2098                                                                                                   |
| 6.                                                                                                     | Darrang                                                                                                | 11265                                                                                                  |
| 7.                                                                                                     | Dhemaji                                                                                                | 1848                                                                                                   |
| 8.                                                                                                     | Dhubri                                                                                                 | 18332                                                                                                  |
| 9.                                                                                                     | Dibrugarh                                                                                              | 12490                                                                                                  |
| 10.                                                                                                    | Dima Hasao                                                                                             | 1299                                                                                                   |
| 11.                                                                                                    | Goalpara                                                                                               | 9043                                                                                                   |
| 12.                                                                                                    | Golaghat                                                                                               | 6962                                                                                                   |
| 13.                                                                                                    | Hailakandi                                                                                             | 11350                                                                                                  |
| 14.                                                                                                    | Jorhat                                                                                                 | 7531                                                                                                   |
| 15.                                                                                                    | Kamrup                                                                                                 | 10780                                                                                                  |
| 16.                                                                                                    | Kamrup Metro                                                                                           | 50740                                                                                                  |
| 17.                                                                                                    | Karbi Anglong                                                                                          | 2791                                                                                                   |
| 18.                                                                                                    | Karimganj                                                                                              | 10174                                                                                                  |
| 19.                                                                                                    | Kokrajhar                                                                                              | 3348                                                                                                   |
| 20.                                                                                                    | Lakhimpur                                                                                              | 7752                                                                                                   |
| 21.                                                                                                    | Morigaon                                                                                               | 10846                                                                                                  |
| 22.                                                                                                    | Nagaon                                                                                                 | 32535                                                                                                  |
| 23.                                                                                                    | Nalbari                                                                                                | 7098                                                                                                   |
| 24.                                                                                                    | Sivasagar                                                                                              | 4743                                                                                                   |
| 25.                                                                                                    | Sonitpur                                                                                               | 12792                                                                                                  |
| 26.                                                                                                    | Tinsukia                                                                                               | 8790                                                                                                   |
| 27.                                                                                                    | Udalguri                                                                                               | 1218                                                                                                   |
| Total                                                                                                  |                                                                                                        | 292224                                                                                                 |

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