The Delhi Cabinet, on Friday, in its meeting chaired by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal approved the setting up of 22 new commercial courts and 18 permanent fast track courts.
The Cabinet approved the law department’s proposal for the creation of 22 posts of the Delhi Higher Judicial Services (DHJS) in the super time scale for commercial courts judges along with the ancillary staff.
For the conversion of 90 per cent of temporary posts sanctioned for fast track courts into permanent posts ~ that is,18 posts of ADJs in DHJS along with 86 posts of ancillary staff ~ the Cabinet approved the law department’s proposal.
The 11th Finance Commission had allocated Rs 502 crore under Article 275 of the Constitution of India for the purpose of setting up 1734 courts in various states to deal with long-pending cases, a Delhi government official said.
The 11th Finance Commission, however, did not include within its fold any proposal for setting up fast track courts in Delhi. The Delhi government, however, had taken up the matter with the Union law and justice ministry, the official added.
The Union ministry of home affairs had, in the financial year 2003-04, released funds as a non-planned grant to the Delhi government for setting up 20 fast track courts for a period of five years, the official said.
The term of the 11th Finance Commission ended in 2005 and even the 12th Finance Commission also did not allocate any funds for fast track courts in Delhi, the official said. The posts of 20 judges and 95 ancillary staff created on a temporary basis in 2005 were thus extended on an annual basis till now.