Mumbai, July 7 (IANS) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday informed the Legislative Assembly that out of the 138 sanctioned fast-track courts in Maharashtra, only 58 are currently functional. The government is continuously following up with the High Court to make judges available for the remaining courts.

Replying to a question raised by MLA Rahul Kul, Fadnavis stated that while plans were made to establish a total of 138 fast-track courts across the state, only 58 could be made operational as the appointment of judges falls entirely under the purview of the judiciary.

He added that over the past year, consistent requests have been made to provide judges for the sanctioned courts through correspondence and joint meetings with the Chief Justice.

The High Court has informed the government that the process for recruitment and promotion of new judges is in its final stages. Once this process is completed, judges will be assigned to all sanctioned fast-track courts, he said.

He explained that until then, some courts have been granted ‘designated’ status for specific cases, though they must continue to hear other regular lawsuits as well.

Speaking on the judicial infrastructure in Pune and other parts of the state, the chief minister noted that over the last 10 to 12 years, sessions courts and additional district courts have undergone a massive expansion in Maharashtra. He assured that the government is providing the necessary funds and facilities to build judicial infrastructure.

The requirement for additional courts is determined by a High Court committee based on the volume of pending cases. If demands for additional courts are received from Pune or elsewhere, they will be verified against the caseload and new courts will be approved as required, he noted.

Intervening in the matter, Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar pointed out that large-scale vacancies in the lower judiciary are causing severe delays in the delivery of justice.

He highlighted that many criminal cases, particularly in Pune’s MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) court and various other courts, have been pending for years, causing immense hardship to common citizens.

The Speaker directed that vacant judgeships be filled immediately and that the process be expedited in coordination with the Chief Justice.

Responding to the Speaker’s directives, Fadnavis assured that this issue will be on the agenda for the next meeting with the Chief Justice and will be given priority.

He reiterated that the government will make every effort to accelerate the recruitment process by bringing areas with acute shortage of judges or need for new appointments to the attention of the High Court.

–IANS

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