Question : Gram Nyayalayas

(a) the number of cases pending in High courts and Lower courts across the country;
(b) whether setting up of Gram Nyayalayas (rural courts) at the Panchayat level comparatively will decrease the number of such pending cases, if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government proposes to set up Gram Nyayalayas at the Panchayat level and empower them to hear cases of limited nature;
(d) if so, the time by which the said Gram Nyayalayas are likely to be set up; and
(e) if not, the reasons therefor?

MINISTER OF LAW AND JUSTICE
(SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

(a): As per information available on the web-portal of National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) the number of cases pending in High courts and Lower courts across the country as on 19.01.2022 is as under:
Civil Cases Criminal Cases Total
High Courts 40,95,419 15,64,601 56,60,020
District and Subordinate Courts 1,07,23,895 2,95,39,122 4,02,63,017

(b) to (e): To provide access to justice to the citizen at their door steps, the Central Government has enacted the Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008. In terms of Section 3 (1) of the Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008, the State Governments are responsible for establishing Gram Nyayalayas in consultation with the respective High Courts. However, the Act does not make setting up of Gram Nyayalayas mandatory. The Gram Nyayalayas Act provides for establishment of Gram Nyayalayas for every Panchayat at intermediate level or a group of contiguous Panchayats at intermediate level in a district or where there is no Panchayat at intermediate level in any State, for a group of contiguous group Panchayats. Gram Nyayalayas are deemed to be a Court of Judicial Magistrate of First Class with civil and criminal jurisdiction as provided in the Schedule to the Act. Central Government and State Government have the power to add or omit any item in such Schedules.
As per the information made available by the various State Governments / High Courts there are 476 Gram Nyayalayas notified in 15 States/UTs, out of which 276 are operational in 10 States and as per data uploaded on the Gram Nyayalaya Portal 41,108 cases (including 39,746 criminal cases) were disposed of in these Gram Nyayalayas from January to December 2021.
The issues affecting the implementation of the Gram Nyayalayas scheme were discussed in the Conference of Chief Justices of High Courts and Chief Ministers of the States on 7th April, 2013. It was decided in the Conference that the State Governments and High Courts should decide the question of establishment of Gram Nyayalayas wherever feasible, taking into account their local problems with focus on covering those Talukas under the Gram Nyayalaya scheme where regular courts have not been set up.
*******