Lok Sabha Question No. 1623 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-07-30
Subject: Pending Court Cases Pertaining to Land Disputes
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: P.P. CHAUDHARY

**GOVERNMENT OF INDIA**

**MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE**

**DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE**

**LOK SABHA**

**UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †1623**

**TO BE ANSWERED ON THURSDAY, 30** **TH** **JULY, 2015**

**Pending Court Cases Pertaining to Land Disputes**

**†1623. SHRI P. P. CHAUDHARY:**

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

**(a) whether the Government is aware of rise in number of court cases pertaining to land disputes particularly belonging to SC / ST categories across the country;**

**(b) if so, the number of such cases pending before various courts in the country, court-wise; and**

**(c) the steps taken / being taken to dispose of such cases expeditiously?**

**ANSWER**

**MINISTER OF LAW AND JUSTICE**

**(SHRI D. V. SADANANDA GOWDA)**

(a) to (c) : Data on pendency of cases is compiled by the High Courts and the Supreme Court.  Information on pendency of civil and criminal cases is being obtained at periodical intervals from the High Courts.  However, information specifically on pendency of cases related to land disputes is not being obtained periodically.  High Courts have been requested to maintain category-wise pendency of cases on their websites.

As per available data 3,56,738 cases relating to land disputes / immovable property disputes were pending in various High Courts and 32,12,211 cases were pending in District and Subordinate Courts as on 30.11.2013.  High Court / State-wise details of these cases are indicated in the Statement ***annexed*** **.**

High Courts have been requested to encourage settlement of long pending civil disputes particularly those relating to property and matrimonial matters through mediation and conciliation by awarding additional credit points to judicial officers / judges in their performance appraisal.

Further, 14 th Finance Commission has endorsed the proposal to strengthen the judicial system in States which includes, inter-alia, establishing 1800 Fast Track Courts for a period of five years for cases of heinous crimes; cases involving senior citizens, women, children, disabled and litigant affected with HIV AIDS and other terminal ailments; and civil disputes involving land acquisition and property / rent disputes pending for more than five years.  The 14 th Finance Commission has urged State Governments to use the additional fiscal space provided by the Commission in the tax devolution to meet such requirements.

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***Annexure***

**Statement referred to Lok Sabha Un-starred Question No. †1623 dated 30.07.2015 regarding Pending Court Cases Pertaining to Land Disputes**

**Land / Immovable property dispute cases pending in the High Courts as on 30.11.2013**

| **Sr. No.**   | **Name of High Court**   | **Number of land / Immovable Property dispute cases pending**   |
|---------------|--------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1.            | Allahabad                | 1,41,112                                                        |
| 2.            | Bombay                   | 42,041                                                          |
| 3.            | Punjab & Haryana         | 40,867                                                          |
| 4.            | Karnataka                | 35,413                                                          |
| 5.            | Rajasthan                | 21,195                                                          |
| 6.            | Madhya Pradesh           | 17,976                                                          |
| 7.            | Andhra Pradesh           | 15,350                                                          |
| 8.            | Himachal Pradesh         | 8,881                                                           |
| 9.            | Orissa                   | 7,722                                                           |
| 10.           | Chhattisgarh             | 5,882                                                           |
| 11.           | Gujarat                  | 5,313                                                           |
| 12.           | Madras                   | 4,862                                                           |
| 13.           | Patna                    | 2,560                                                           |
| 14.           | Jammu & Kashmir          | 1,534                                                           |
| 15.           | Kerala                   | 1,171                                                           |
| 16.           | Uttarakhand              | 1,024                                                           |
| 17.           | Delhi                    | 994                                                             |
| 18.           | Jharkhand                | 958                                                             |
| 19.           | Calcutta                 | 690                                                             |
| 20.           | Tripura                  | 580                                                             |
| 21.           | Gauhati                  | 478                                                             |
| 22.           | Manipur                  | 74                                                              |
| 23.           | Meghalaya                | 44                                                              |
| 24.           | Sikkim                   | 17                                                              |
| **Total**     |                          | **3,56,738**                                                    |

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Continued….

…2…

**Land / Immovable property dispute cases pending in the District and Subordinate Courts as on 30.11.2013**

| **Sr. No.**   | **Name of State / UT**       | **Number of land / Immovable Property dispute cases pending**   |
|---------------|------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1.            | Uttar Pradesh                | 811726                                                          |
| 2.            | Maharashtra                  | 422421                                                          |
| 3.            | West Bengal                  | 278631                                                          |
| 4.            | Karnataka                    | 244325                                                          |
| 5.            | Tamil Nadu                   | 224762                                                          |
| 6.            | Andhra Pradesh and Telengana | 159001                                                          |
| 7.            | Bihar                        | 156374                                                          |
| 8.            | Gujarat                      | 138970                                                          |
| 9.            | Haryana                      | 117138                                                          |
| 10.           | Orissa                       | 116308                                                          |
| 11.           | Rajasthan                    | 110213                                                          |
| 12.           | Kerala                       | 81091                                                           |
| 13.           | Punjab                       | 80505                                                           |
| 14.           | Madhya Pradesh               | 75040                                                           |
| 15.           | Himachal Pradesh             | 37121                                                           |
| 16.           | Jharkhand                    | 30480                                                           |
| 17.           | J & K                        | 28862                                                           |
| 18.           | Delhi                        | 28701                                                           |
| 19.           | Chhattisgarh                 | 22266                                                           |
| 20.           | Assam                        | 15313                                                           |
| 21.           | Uttarakhand                  | 15210                                                           |
| 22.           | Goa                          | 6838                                                            |
| 23.           | Pondicherry                  | 4092                                                            |
| 24.           | Tripura                      | 2883                                                            |
| 25.           | A & N Island                 | 1388                                                            |
| 26.           | Manipur                      | 907                                                             |
| 27.           | D & N Haveli& Daman and Diu  | 578                                                             |
| 28.           | Meghalaya                    | 470                                                             |
| 29.           | Arunachal Pradesh            | 197                                                             |
| 30.           | Mizoram                      | 118                                                             |
| 31.           | Sikkim                       | 109                                                             |
| 32.           | Nagaland                     | 79                                                              |
| 33.           | Lakshadweep                  | 63                                                              |
| 34.           | Chandigarh                   | 31                                                              |
|               | **Total**                    | **32,12,211**                                                   |

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