Lok Sabha Question No. 3363 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-05
Subject: National Judicial Infrastructure Authority
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Asaduddin Owaisi

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No 3363

## TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 05 TH   AUGUST, 2022

## National Judicial Infrastructure Authority

## 3363. SHRI ASADUDDIN OWAISI:

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

- (a) whether  it  is  a  fact  that  Indian  Judiciary  specially  High  Courts  and subordinate  courts  lacks  basic  infrastructure  all  over  the  country  and  if  so,  the details thereof;
- (b) whether it is also  a  fact  that  50  percent of  the  judicial  infrastructure  lacks basic amenities like ladies toilet, purified drinking water, basic medical facilities and video conferencing facilities in the age of e-governance, if so, the steps taken or being taken by the Government in this regard;
- (c) whether the Supreme Court has recently desired for providing adequate judicial infrastructure, financial autonomy and setting up of National Judicial Infrastructure Authority to meet the growing needs of the judiciary; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF LAW AND JUSTICE (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

(a) to (d):  The Registry of Supreme Court of India has compiled data on the status of judicial infrastructure and court amenities, as per which 74% of court complexes have separate ladies toilets and 84% have gents toilets, 54% of court complexes have drinking water facility with purifiers, 5% court complexes have basic medical facilities  and  27%  court  rooms  have  computer  placed  on  judge's  dais  for  video conferencing facility.

A proposal has been received from the Chief Justice of India for setting up of National Judicial Infrastructure Authority of India (NJIAI) for arrangement of adequate infrastructure for courts and which will act as a Central body in laying down  the  road map  for planning, creation,  development, maintenance  and management of functional infrastructure for the Indian Court System. The proposal was  sent  to  the  various  State  Government/UTs,  as  they  constitute  an  important stakeholder,  for  their  views  on  the  contours  of  the  proposal  to  enable  taking  a considered view on the matter. The issue was also discussed in the Conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices held on 30.04.2022 and after deliberations since there was no consensus the proposal was not agreed to.

The  primary  responsibility  of  development  of  Infrastructure  facilities  for judiciary rests with the State Governments.  To augment the resources of the State Governments, the Union Government has been implementing a Centrally Sponsored  Scheme  for  Development  of  Infrastructure  Facilities  in  district  and subordinate courts by providing financial assistance to State Governments / UTs in the prescribed fund sharing pattern. The scheme is being implemented since 199394.  Till  date,  the  Central  Government  has  sanctioned  Rs.  9013  crore  under  the Scheme to States/UTs, out of which Rs. 5569 crore has been released since 201415  which  is  around  61.79%  of  the  total  release  under  the  scheme.  As  per information  made  available  by  the  High  Courts  as  on  30.06.2022,  against sanctioned  strength  of  24,623  and  working  strength  of  19,313  Judicial  Officers, 20,993 Court Halls and 18,502 Residential Units are available in the District and Subordinate Courts. Moreover, 2,677 Court Halls and 1,659 Residential Units are under construction as per the data available on Nyaya  Vikas  portal.  The Government has approved the continuance of this CSS for a period of 5 years from 01.04.2021  to  31.03.2026,  with  a  total  budgetary  outlay  of  Rs.9,000  crores, including  Central  share  of  Rs.5,307  crores.  The  scheme  components  have  been expanded,  to  also  cover  the  construction  of  toilets,  digital  computer  rooms  and Lawyers' Hall, in addition to the Court Halls & Residential Units in the district and subordinate  courts.  Pursuant  to  the  extension  of  the  scheme  and  introduction  of new features in the scheme, revised guidelines have been issued on 19.08.2021 for implementation of Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Development of Infrastructure Facilities for Judiciary.

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