Haryana, Punjab CMs say need for speedy justice, quick disposal of cases

The Chief Ministers of Punjab and Haryana Friday emphasied the need for "speedy justice" and "quick disposal of cases, particularly pertaining to crime against women". The leaders were speaking at the one-day conference on the theme - Justice at Doorstep and Legal aid to the poor - organised at the Judicial Academy on Friday.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal stressed the "need for more women judges to be appointed to sternly deal with crime against women", while Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda emphasised the "need for creation and implementation of mechanisms for fast and effective delivery of justice".

Union Law and Justice Minister Dr Ashwani Kumar, in his key note address, said: "The concept of Gram Nyayalayas will go a long way in delivering prompt justice to villagers at their doorsteps free of cost," while appreciating efforts made by the judiciary in bringing down the pendency from three crore to two crore cases during 2011.

Badal said that 75 per cent cost of setting up and running these courts should be met by the Centre and not just for three years, but rather on a continuing basis. "I hope that with the introduction of Gram Nyayalayas at Nangal in Ropar and Kot-Ise-Khan in Moga district, the people will get speedy justice through summary trials without spending much besides saving lot of time. The litigation has indeed become very costly, time consuming and burdensome for particularly rural and poor people. The fact that the court would carry out its work in Punjabi would also help the litigants to understand the legal proceedings," Badal added.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Hooda said, "Haryana has succeeded to a very large extent in ensuring justice to all sections of society. Two Gram Nyayalayas have been notified in Haryana, including one at Shahabad in Kurukshetra and another at Rania in Sirsa. The Shahabad Court had been functioning since 2010, whereas the Rania Court is also set to function."

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