By IANS,
New Delhi: The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government is committed to speedy and affordable justice for the common man, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said Saturday, expressing concern over the huge backlog of cases in courts.
Addressing a national convention on the legal system organised by the Congress, Gandhi said that 2.5 crore cases were pending in various levels of the judiciary.
She said proper implementation of the legislation on gram nyayalayas (rural courts) would ensure speedy disposal of cases and ensure justice for the common man.
“It has always been our persistent belief that justice should be speedy, effective and affordable. The gram nyayalayas (act) is another milestone legislation that seeks to give life to this aspiration.
“Under the act, more than 5,000 gram nyayalayas are expected to be set up for which the central government will provide Rs.1,400 crore to states and union territories,” she said.
The rural courts, she said, would revolutionise the justice system and help fast track the pending cases.
“It is our hope that this measure will usher in a revolution in handling and disposing cases while bringing justice to the ‘aam aadmi’,” she said.
Speaking about the achievements of the government, Gandhi said the UPA had given the right to elementary education for children, which would become a reality April 1.
“Through this historic law, all children will have access to free and compulsory education,” she said.
Gandhi said the women’s reservation bill passed by the Rajya Sabha was awaiting clearance in the Lok Sabha. The bill seeks to reserve a third of legislative seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
She said parliament was debating a legislation to give citizens the right to a safe and healthy environment.
Gandhi said the government was committed to passing the right to food security law which will mark another achievement “in our continuing battle against starvation and malnutrition”.
Law and Justice Minister M. Veerappa Moily asked the party’s legal and human rights department, which organised the meeting, to create a data bank of lawyers affiliated to the Congress.
The department’s secretary, K.C. Mittal, demanded a Rajiv Gandhi centre for voluntary dispute resolution to regulate domestic and international arbitration and mediation.