(a) whether it is true that a World Bank study states that land-related disputes account for two-thirds of all pending court cases in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government is contemplating to deal with the increasing land related disputes within a limited time frame; and
(d) if so, the details thereof and the time by which it is likely to be done?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR LAW AND JUSTICE AND CORPORATE AFFAIRS
(SHRI P. P. CHAUDHARY)
(a) & (b): Land-related disputes are in the nature of civil cases. As per data available on the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), as on 21st December, 2018, civil cases constitute 84.59 lakh cases and criminal cases constitute 207.65 lakh cases out of the total 292.24 lakh cases pending in various District and Subordinate Courts. Further, civil cases constitute 24.38 lakh cases, criminal cases constitute 13.26 lakh cases and writ cases constitute 12.13 lakh cases out of the total 49.79 lakh cases pending in various High Courts. However, NJDG does not separately provide the number of pending land-related disputes. Details of land-related disputes in revenue courts in various States is maintained by the respective States.
(c) & (d): Land and its management falls under the domain of State Governments, Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India is, however, implementing the ‘Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme’ that, inter alia, provide for digitisation of Records of Right, cadastral maps, computerisation of registration and integration of registration with the revenue offices, ultimately resulting in minimisation of land disputes, to some extent.
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