Lok Sabha Question No. 2907 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-08-06
Subject: Pending Court Cases
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: AJAY NISHAD, RAVINDRA BABU  PANDULA, CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI, RAJAN BABURAO  VICHARE, P. KUMAR, PANKAJ CHOWDHARY, YERRAM VENKATA SUBBAREDDY, P.P. CHAUDHARY, RITI PATHAK

**GOVERNMENT OF INDIA**

**MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE**

**DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE**

**LOK SABHA**

**UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †2907**

**TO BE ANSWERED ON THURSDAY, 06** **TH** **AUGUST, 2015**

**Pending Court Cases**

**†2907. SHRI AJAY NISHAD:**

**DR. RAVINDRA BABU:**

**SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI:**

**SHRI RAJAN VICHARE:**

**SHRI P. KUMAR:**

**SHRI PANKAJ CHAUDHARY:**

**SHRI Y. V. SUBBA REDDY:**

**SHRI P. P. CHAUDHARY:**

**SHRIMATI RITI PATHAK:**

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

**(a) the number of cases pending in Supreme Court, High Courts and District / Subordinate Courts separately and the reasons therefor;**

**(b) the average number of cases disposed of by the courts every year;**

**(c) the funds allocated to the Courts to expedite the process of trial during each of the last three years and the current year and the success achieved as a result thereof;**

**(d) the mechanism put in place by the Government to monitor the utilization of funds for the purpose; and**

**(e) the details of the initiatives undertaken by the Government for expediting the disposal of court cases?**

**ANSWER**

**MINISTER OF LAW AND JUSTICE**

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

(a) to (e) : The data on pendency of cases is maintained by the Supreme Court and High Courts.  As per the information available, number of cases pending and disposed of in Supreme Court, High Courts and District / Subordinate Courts during the last three years are given below:-

| **Court / Year**              | **Number of cases disposed**   |             |             | **Number of cases pending**   |             |             |
|-------------------------------|--------------------------------|-------------|-------------|-------------------------------|-------------|-------------|
|                               | **2012**                       | **2013**    | **2014**    | **2012**                      | **2013**    | **2014**    |
| Supreme Court                 | 68,744                         | 77,085      | 92,722      | 66,692                        | 66,349      | 62,791      |
| High Courts                   | 17,86,170                      | 17,72,917   | 17,34,542   | 44,34,191                     | 44,62,705   | 41,53,957   |
| District / Subordinate Courts | 1,81,97,153                    | 1,87,83,546 | 1,90,19,658 | 2,68,89,203                   | 2,68,38,861 | 2,64,88,405 |

Some of the main factors responsible for pendency of cases in courts are increasing number of state and central legislations, accumulation of first appeals, continuation of ordinary civil jurisdiction in some of the High Courts, vacancies of Judges, appeals against orders of quasi-judicial forums going to High Courts, number of revisions / appeals, frequent adjournments, indiscriminate use of writ jurisdiction, lack of adequate arrangement to monitor, track and bunch cases for hearing.

The primary responsibility for providing adequate judicial infrastructure and manpower for judiciary in the State to ensure timely delivery of justice rests on the respective State Governments.  The Central Government augments the resources of State Governments by releasing financial assistance under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for Development of Infrastructure facilities for Judiciary.  The funds released to the State Governments under the Scheme during the last three years and the current financial year are indicated in the Statement **annexed** .  Development of infrastructural facilities for judiciary in the States is monitored by the State Level Committee headed by portfolio judge of the High Court concerned.  The utilization of funds released under the Scheme is monitored by the Central Government through Utilization Certificates.  Further, the Central Government has also been implementing e-Courts Project for computerization of courts.  An amount of approximately Rs.608 crore has been released to National Informatics Centre (NIC) for implementation of the project across the country.  As per the information collected form High Courts, the overall availability of Court halls in the district and subordinate courts is now commensurate to the overall working strength of Judicial Officers / Judges in these courts. In addition, 2,251 additional court rooms are under construction in States and UTs to take care of immediate increase in the working strength of judicial officers / judges in district and subordinate courts on account of filling up of vacancies.

Government has set up a National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms with the twin objectives of increasing access by reducing delays and arrears in the system and enhancing accountability through structural changes and by setting performance standards and capacities.  The Mission has been pursuing a co-ordinated approach for phased liquidation of arrears and pendency in judicial administration which, *inter-alia* , involves better infrastructure for courts including computerization, increase in strength of subordinate judiciary, policy and legislative measures in the areas prone to excessive litigation, re-engineering of court procedure for quick disposal of cases and emphasis on human resource development.

***Annexure***

Statement referred to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.2907 dated 06 th **August 2015.**

**Statement of Grants Sanctioned under CSS Scheme for Infrastructural Facilities for Judiciary (As on 31.07.2015)** (Rs. In crore)

| **Sl. No.**   | **State**               | **Funds sanctioned in 2012-13**   | **Funds sanctioned in 2013-14**   | **Funds sanctioned  in 2014-15**   | **Funds sanctioned in 2015-16**   |
|---------------|-------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
| 1             | Andhra  Pradesh         | 63.93                             | 0.00                              |                                    |                                   |
| 2             | Bihar                   | 15.24                             | 0.00                              | 49.09                              |                                   |
| 3             | Chhattisgarh            | 0.00                              | 0.00                              | 21.77                              |                                   |
| 4             | Goa                     | 0.00                              | 0.00                              |                                    |                                   |
| 5             | Gujarat                 | 98.93                             | 100.00                            | 100.00                             |                                   |
| 6             | Haryana                 | 0.00                              | 36.32                             |                                    | 50.00                             |
| 7             | Himachal Pradesh        | 0.00                              | 8.06                              |                                    |                                   |
| 8             | Jammu & Kashmir         | 25.72                             | 34.28                             | 34.29                              |                                   |
| 9             | Jharkhand*              | 15.00                             | 16.93                             | 30.44                              | 30.44                             |
| 10            | Karnataka               | 76.10                             | 103.84                            | 163.70                             | 50.00                             |
| 11            | Kerala                  | 14.99                             | 0.00                              |                                    |                                   |
| 12            | Madhya Pradesh          | 20.46                             | 61.41                             | 61.41                              |                                   |
| 13            | Maharashtra             | 59.20                             | 100.00                            | 99.75                              |                                   |
| 14            | Orissa                  | 15.34                             | 0.00                              |                                    |                                   |
| 15            | Punjab                  | 79.02                             | 120.00                            | 98.05                              | 50.00                             |
| 16            | Rajasthan               | 10.42                             | 0.00                              |                                    | 50.00                             |
| 17            | Tamil nadu              | 19.53                             | 73.43                             |                                    |                                   |
| 18            | Uttarakhand             | 8.30                              | 20.43                             | 35.59                              |                                   |
| 19            | Uttar Pradesh           | 93.98                             | 125.30                            | 125.31                             | 50.00                             |
| 20            | West Bengal             | 0.00                              | 0.00                              | 20.00                              |                                   |
|               | **Total (A)**           | **616.16**                        | **800.00**                        | **839.40**                         | **280.44**                        |
|               | **NE States**           |                                   |                                   |                                    |                                   |
| 1             | Arunachal Pradesh       | 7.50                              | 0.00                              | 10.00                              |                                   |
| 2             | Assam                   | 29.55                             | 0.00                              |                                    |                                   |
| 3             | Manipur                 | 0.00                              | 15.00                             | 20.00                              |                                   |
| 4             | Meghalaya               | 0.00                              | 14.74                             | 17.09                              |                                   |
| 5             | Mizoram                 | 7.05                              | 8.13                              | 10.85                              |                                   |
| 6             | Nagaland                | 7.50                              | 0.00                              | 20.16                              |                                   |
| 7             | Sikkim                  | 5.50                              | 28.03                             |                                    |                                   |
| 8             | Tripura                 | 14.96                             | 29.11                             | 15.50                              |                                   |
|               | **Total (B)**           | **72.05**                         | **95.00**                         | **93.60**                          | **0.00**                          |
|               | **UTs**                 |                                   |                                   |                                    |                                   |
| 1             | A&N Islands             | 0.00                              | 0.00                              |                                    |                                   |
| 2             | Chandigarh              | 0.00                              | 0.00                              |                                    |                                   |
| 3             | Dadra & Nagar Haveili   | 0.00                              | 0.00                              |                                    |                                   |
| 4             | Daman & Diu             | 0.00                              | 0.00                              |                                    |                                   |
| 5             | Delhi                   | 20.00                             | 0.00                              |                                    |                                   |
| 6             | Lakshadweep             | 0.00                              | 0.00                              |                                    |                                   |
| 7             | Pondicherry             | 0.00                              | 0.00                              |                                    |                                   |
|               | **Total (C)**           | **20.00**                         | **0.00**                          | **0.00**                           | **0.00**                          |
|               | **Grand Total (A+B+C)** | **708.21**                        | **895.00**                        | **933.00**                         | **280.44**                        |

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