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Have to solve pendency, fill up empty posts: CJI Ranjan Gogoi
The CJI said the pendency figure of three crore cases in the country was alarming, but pointed out that 81 lakh cases were just about one year old and that they cannot be said to be pending.
Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Sunday said the pendency of cases in courts was “worrisome and troublesome”.
Speaking at a function after inaugurating a temporary complex of Andhra Pradesh high court at Nelapadu in Amaravati, Gogoi said, “This is not a good sign. Both the bar and the bench need to take a serious view and work in close coordination to meet this challenge.”
Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and a host of Supreme Court and high court judges also attended the inauguration.
Amaravati is getting its own high court after Andhra’s birfucation in June 2014.
The CJI said the pendency figure of three crore cases in the country was alarming, but pointed out that 81 lakh cases were just about one year old and that they cannot be said to be pending.
Gogoi said 50 lakh cases out of the three crore were petty cases like breach of the Motor Vehicles Act, Weights and Measures Act and small violations of the excise law, which call for the imposition of a token fine.
“I appeal to the Chief Justices of the high courts to give a thought on how best we can deal with these 50 lakh cases.”
Efforts are in progress to fill up 5,000 vacancy posts of district judge and subordinate judge all over the country, he said.
The chief justice said 400 high court judge posts are vacant, and recommendations for filling of those posts from the courts were awaited.
Filling of another 100 vacancies in the cadre of Supreme Court judge is in the pipeline, he said.
CM Naidu urged judges to bring down litigations for the progress of the bifurcated state, highlighting the need to harness technology to address pendency of cases.
“After all, Andhra Pradesh is an emerging state, struggling hard to heal its bifurcation wounds. It wants to grow and develop on a fast track for which a litigation-free situation is essential,” Naidu said.
