Funds enhanced for revamp of courts

An outlay of Rs 700 crore (Rs 7 billion), which was provided in the Tenth Five-Year Plan for modernisation of all the courts, has been enhanced to 1,470 crore (Rs 14.7 billion), Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday.

The funds for construction of courts, including the high court, development of infrastructure facilities for the judiciary and the computerisation of all courts has been enhanced to Rs 1,470, Minister of Law and Justice H R Bhardwaj said in a written reply.

Reservation: The department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Law and Justice in their report submitted to Parliament on the Judges Bill, 2006

has recommended bringing the higher judiciary under the ambit of reservation, the minister said.

Appointment of judges of the Supreme Court and high courts are made under Articles 124 and 217 of the Constitution of India respectively which do not provide for reservation for any caste or class of persons.

Any change in the present system would require Constitutional amendment, he said.

Cases: Government and the judiciary at the highest level have been interacting for reducing the pending cases in courts and government has continued fast track courts to reduce it at sessions court level, he said.