Question : Pending Cases in Subordinate Courts

(a) whether more than seven million cases are pending in the subordinate courts of Uttar Pradesh;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons for such huge pendency;
(c) whether poor infrastructure is one of the main reasons therefor and if so, the details thereof along with the efforts made by the Government so far to improve the infrastructure of subordinate courts in the State;
(d) the details of other measures proposed to be initiated by the Government to speed up disposal of cases in subordinate courts in the country including Uttar Pradesh; and
(e) whether the Government is considering to agree to the just and old demand of a High Court bench in Uttar Pradesh and if so, the details thereof?

Answer given by the minister

ANSWER

MINISTER OF LAW AND JUSTICE, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)



(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (e) of LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *43 FOR ANSWER ON 20TH NOVEMBER, 2019.

(a) and (b): As per information available on the National Judicial Data Grid (as on 14th November, 2019), there are 75,01,283 cases pending in the District and Subordinate Courts of Uttar Pradesh. The district-wise number of cases pending in the State of Uttar Pradesh is given in the Annexure.
As regards reasons for pendency of cases in courts, it is stated that timely disposal of cases in courts depends on several factors which, inter-alia, include availability of adequate number of judges, supporting court staff and physical infrastructure, complexity of facts involved, nature of evidence, co-operation of stake holders viz. bar, investigation agencies, witnesses and litigants and proper application of rules and procedures to monitor, track and bunch cases for hearing.

(c): It is the primary responsibility of the State Governments to provide Judicial Infrastructure / Court Rooms for High Courts and District / Subordinate Courts. To supplement these efforts, the Union Government is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Development of Infrastructure Facilities for Judiciary by providing financial assistance to State Governments / UTs in the prescribed fund sharing pattern between Centre and States. The Scheme is being implemented since 1993-94. It covers the construction of court halls and court complexes and residential accommodations for Judicial Officers of District and Subordinate Judiciary. In the case of Uttar Pradesh, a sum of Rs. 1101.60 crore has been sanctioned till 15/11/19 since the inception of the Scheme, out of which Rs. 550.31 crore has been sanctioned since 2014-15 (which is around 50% of the total release under the Scheme). During the current financial year 2019-20, a sum of Rs. 121.94 crore has been sanctioned to the State of Uttar Pradesh. Under this scheme, in the State of Uttar Pradesh, 2278 court halls and 1937 residential units have been made available for Judicial Officers of District and Subordinate Courts as on 15/11/19 against the working strength of 2012 Judicial Officers. In addition, 332 court halls and 401 residential units are under construction in Uttar Pradesh.
In respect of all States / UTs, a sum of Rs. 7453.10 crore has been sanctioned till 15/11/19 since the inception of the Scheme, out of which Rs. 4008.80 crore has been sanctioned since 2014-15 (which is around 54% of the total release under the Scheme). During the current financial year 2019-20, a sum of Rs. 702.86 crore, out of the allocated budget of Rs. 710.00 crore, has already been sanctioned to States/UTs. Under this scheme, 19,414 court halls and 17,103 residential units have been made available for Judicial Officers of District and Subordinate Courts as on 15/11/19 against the working strength of 17,342 Judicial Officers. In addition, 2,822 court halls and 1,869 residential units are under construction.

(d) The Government is committed to speedy disposal of cases and reduction in pendency of cases to improve access to justice in line with the mandate under Article 39A of the Constitution. The Union Government has taken several initiatives to provide an ecosystem for faster disposal of cases by the judiciary. The National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms established in 2011 by the Government has adopted a coordinated approach to effect for phased liquidation of arrears and pendency at various levels of judicial administration through many strategic initiatives, including improving infrastructure [court halls and residential units] for Judicial Officers of District and Subordinate Courts, leveraging Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for better justice delivery, filling up of vacant positions of Judges in High Courts and Supreme Court, reduction in pendency through follow up by Arrears Committees at District, High Court and Supreme Court level, emphasis on Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) and initiatives to fast track special type of cases. In addition, all stakeholders including Judicial Officers can access information relating to judicial proceedings/decisions of computerized District & Subordinate Courts and High Courts on the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG). Currently litigants can access case status information in respect of over 12.23 crore pending and disposed cases and more than 10.26 crore orders / judgments pertaining to these computerized courts from NJDG. Also, Pending cases are considered and disposed in Lok Adalats conducted under National Legal Services Authority (NALSA). 172.60 lakh pending cases have been settled in National Lok Adalat from 2015 till date while 88.40 lakh pending cases have been settled in Regular Lok Adalats during 2015-16 to June, 2019.
(e): The High Court Benches are established in accordance with the recommendations made by the Jaswant Singh Commission and judgment pronounced by the Apex Court in W.P.(C) No.379 of 2000 and after receipt and due consideration of a complete proposal from the State Government, which incorporates readiness to provide infrastructure and meet the related expenditure, along with the consent of the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court who is responsible for day to day administration of the High Court and its Bench. The proposal should also have the consent of the Governor of the concerned State. No proposal (complete in all respects) has been received from the State Government of Uttar Pradesh to establish a Bench of Allahabad High Court in Uttar Pradesh.
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Annexure
Statement referred to Lok Sabha Starred Question No. *43 for reply on 20th November, 2019

District-wise number of cases pending in the State of Uttar Pradesh

S. No. State Pendency of cases
1 Agra 206069
2 Aligarh 142504
3 Allahabad 275404
4 Ambedkar Nagar 64944
5 Auraiya 47694
6 Azamgarh 150224
7 Baghpat 45947
8 Bahraich 120570
9 Ballia 96213
10 BalramPur 56578
11 Banda 51319
12 Barabanki 88927
13 Bareilly 162999
14 Basti 76421
15 Bhadohi SR Naga 40325
16 Bijnor 93936
17 Badaun 99990
18 Bulandshahr 126076
19 Chandouli 55889
20 Chitrakoot 20131
21 Deoria 120015
22 Etah 64278
23 Etawah 53397
24 Faizabad 120577
25 Farrukhabad 81037
26 Fatehpur 88331
27 Firozabad 114466
28 Gautam Buddha Nagar 163268
29 Ghaziabad 205128
30 Ghazipur 103668
31 Gonda 112391
32 Gorakhpur 195706
33 Hamirpur 29379
34 Hapur 53068
35 Hardoi 102363
36 Hathras 47289
37 Jalaun 54612
38 Jaunpur 173406
39 Jhansi 84604
40 Jyotiba Phule Nagar 54774
41 Kannauj 55300
42 Kanpur Dehat 91989
43 Kanpur Nagar 271696
44 Kanshi Ram Nagar 38389
45 Kaushambi 61876
46 Kushinagar 129239
47 Lakhimpur 123501
48 Lalitpur 48996
49 Lucknow 322926
50 Maharajganj 69207
51 Mahoba 21861
52 Mainpuri 66942
53 Mathura 122768
54 Mau 88230
55 Meerut 195551
56 Mirzapur 78301
57 Moradabad 101159
58 Muzaffarnagar 114660
59 Pilibhit 59262
60 Pratapgarh 145601
61 Raebareli 108604
62 Rampur 58585
63 Saharanpur 130613
64 Sambhal at Chandausi 59160
65 Santkabir Nagar 48533
66 Shahjahanpur 98007
67 Shamli 35360
68 Shravasti 27296
69 Siddharthnagar 69758
70 Sitapur 135703
71 Sonbhadra 58019
72 Sultanpur 163219
73 Unnao 92587
74 Varanasi 164468
Total 75,01,283

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