17Th Lok Sabha, Session
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LOK SABHA Budget Session – 3rd Session of 17th Lok Sabha WEDNESDAY, 11th MARCH 2020 INDEX S.No. Question Question Date Subject Division Page No. Type Nos. 1. Question Starred 11.03.2020 Engagement of Justice.II 2-7 No.258 Consultants 2. Question Unstarred 11.03.2020 Posts of Judges vacant NM 8-9 No.2764 in High Court 3. Question Unstarred 11.03.2020 Village Courts JR 10-13 No.2770 4. Question Unstarred 11.03.2020 Pending Court Cases NM 14-15 No.2783 5. Question Unstarred 11.03.2020 Indian Judicial Service NM 16-18 No.2790 6. Question Unstarred 11.03.2020 Delay in justice NM 19-24 No.2791 7. Question Unstarred 11.03.2020 Special Court to deal Justice.II 25-27 No.2856 with Crime against Women 8. Question Unstarred 11.03.2020 Use of Local Language Justice.I 28 No.2860 in Courts 9. Question Unstarred 11.03.2020 Infrastructure Facility in JR Desk 29-30 No.2909 Judiciary 10. Question Unstarred 11.03.2020 Affordable Justice NM 31-33 No.2916 11. Question Unstarred 11.03.2020 Free and Prompt A2J/LAP 34-35 No.2925 Justice 12. Question Unstarred 11.03.2020 Committee for Judicial NM 36-39 No.2948 Reforms 13. Question Unstarred 11.03.2020 High Court Benches in Appointment 40-41 No.2953 UP Division 14. Question Unstarred 11.03.2020 Speedy Justice A2J/LAP 42-43 No.2970 .~ , , ,.... GOVE~MENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ****** LOKSABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *258 TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, THE 11th March, 2020 Engagement of Consultants *258. SHRI GAUTHAM SIGAMANI PON: SHRI DHANUSH M. KUMAR: Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government proposes to engage Senior Consultants and Consultants on contractual basis for the scheme relating to setting up of 1023 Fast Track Special Courts for speedy disposal of rape and POCSO cases and if so, the details thereof; (b)the criteria fixed by the Government for appointment as Consultants and their nature of duties; (c) the number of candidates shortlisted and appointed so far; (d)the period for which they will be engaged and the amount of remuneration proposed to be paid to them; (e)whether the Union Government has requested all the State Governments to open Fast Track Special Courts for speedy disposal of rape and POCSO cases and if so, number of States that have set up such Fast Track Courts; and (f) the other steps taken by the Government for speedy disposal of rape cases pending in various courts in the country? 1 ~. • 4'" ANSWER MINISTER OF LAW & JUSTICE, COMMUNICATIQNS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRl RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD) (a) to (f): A statement is laid on the Table of the House. *** 2 • STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (0 OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 258 FOR 1fT." MARCH. 2020. (a)to(d): The Government proposes to engage two number of Professional Consultants for monitoring the scheme for setting up of 1023 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSC) across the country. These Consultants should be Law Graduates, having good analytical and communications skills with 5-8 years experience in the legal field for the 'position of Sf. Consultant, and 3-5 years experience for the position of Consultant. The proposed remuneration per month is in the range of Rs.I, 00,000 - 1, 25,000 for Sr. Consultant and Rs. 80,000-1, 00,000 for the position of Consultant. The term of Consultants will be co-terminus with the scheme of FTSC. The advertisement for these positions was published through DAVP in newspapers on 13.02.2020 followed by uploading on the website of Department of Justice. Applications were to be received online upto 5th March 2020. After following all laid down codal formalities, these two consultants would be engaged. For proper planning, coordination and monitoring of the above scheme, these two Consultants would undertake regular activities for obtaining data in prescribed formats from concerned High Courts, compile, analyze and evaluate them besides making various reports and appraisals recommending areas needing interventions; conduct inspections; organizing training and outreach campaign etc. (e): The proposal of Union of India for setting up of 1800 Fast Track Courts (FTCs) during 2015-2020 for dealing specific natured cases of heinous nature, women, children, senior citizens, other vulnerable sections of society and civil cases pending for 5 years had been endorsed by the 14th Finance Commission. The Commission had urged State Governments to utilize enhanced fiscal space available through tax devolution (32% to 42%) for the above. Union Government 3 _5 , • has also asked states to set up requisite number ofFTCs. There are' 828 numbers of such FTCs functioning in the country as on 31st Dec, 2019 as, per information received from High Courts. In furtherance of The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018, taking special efforts, the Union Government has finalized a new scheme of FTSC for speedy trial and disposal of cases related to rape and POCSO act and communicated state Governments and Union Territory administrations to open up FTSCs including exclusive POCSO courts in Sep 2019. After receipt of consent from the State Governments/ UTs, first installment of central share of funds have so far been released to 27 States/UTs for setting up of 649 FTSCs including 363 exclusive POCSO courts. As per information received from High Courts, 195 su,:h courts have been established, the details of which are given at Annexure-I. (f): Disposal of cases in courts is within the domain of the judiciary. The Union Government is committed to speedy disposal of cases and reduction in pendency of cases. The National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms has adopted many strategic initiatives, including improving infrastructure [court halls and residential units] for Judicial Officers of District and Subordinate Courts, leveraging Information and Communication Technology (lCT) 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 Resoiution (ADR) and initiatives to fast track special type of cases. However, timely disposal of cases in courts also depends on several other factors which, inter-alia, include availability of adequate number of judges, supporting court staff and physical infrastructure, 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. 4 • The central government has enacted The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018 making the punishment for offences like rape more stringent by including death penalty for rape of a girl below the age of 12 years. The Act also, inter-alia, mandates completion of investigation and trials within 2 months each. Further, in order to ensure that the amendments in law effectively translate at ground level~ and to enhance women safety in the country, the Government has undertaken a number of measures for implementation. These include an online analytic tool for police launched on 19th February 2019 called "Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences" to monitor and track time-bound investigation in sexual assault cases m accordance with Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2018; launch of. National Database on Sexual Offenders (NDSO) on 20th September 2018 to facilitate investigation and tracking of sexual offenders across the country by law enforcement agencies; sanction of Safe City Projects in phase-I in 8 cities (Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow and Mumbai) under Nirbhaya Fund for using technology to aid smart policing and safety management; and steps taken to improve investigation by strengthening DNA analysis units in Central and State Forensic Science Laboratories, which includes setting up of a State-of-the-Art DNA Analysis Unit in Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Chandigarh. Guidelines have been notified for collection of forensic evidence in sexual assault cases and the standard composition in a sexual assault evidence collection kit. For building adequate capacity in manpower, training and skill building programs for Investigation Officers, Prosecution Officers and Medical Officers have commenced. *** 5 t Annexure-l State wise details of No. of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) established for Women and Girl children under the Scheme of FTSCs (January 2020) States No.ofFTSCs Madhya Pradesh 56 Chhattisgarh 15 Delhi 16 Tripura 03 Iharkhand 22 Rajasthan 26 Telangana 09 Gujarat 34 Tamil Nadu 14 Total 195 6 GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE LOKSABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2764 TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, THE 11.03.2020 Posts of Judges Vacant in High Court t2764. SHRI VINAYAK RAUT: SHRI BANDI SANJAY KUMAR: SHRI KOMATI REDDY VENKAT REDDY: DR. G. RANJITH REDDY: Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state: (a) whether a large number of Judges vacancies in High Courts including High Court of Telangana and Maharashtra; (b) if so, the time since when these posts are lying vacant and the reasons therefor; (c) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to fill these vacant posts in a time-bound manner;and (d) whether preference is given from the eligible candidates from their respective States and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF LAW AND JUSTICE, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD) - (a) to (d): As on 01.03.2020, against a sanctioned strength of 24 there is a vacancy of 11 Judges in Telangana High Court and, against a sanctioned strength of 94 judges, there are 23 vacancies of Judges in the Bombay High Court.