-The Hindu
BHUBANESWAR: Odisha is sitting on mountains of pending litigations and court cases as its judicial system grapples with large scale vacancies.
The State government on Tuesday said it required at least 391 judicial officers in addition to sanctioned judicators’ posts in High Court and lower courts to clear pending cases.
As against requirement of further 50 per cent increase in strength, five out of 27 sanctioned judges’ posts in Orissa High Court and 81 of 694 judicial officers are lying vacant. In lower courts, 37 district judges’ posts are yet to be filled up.
In response to query, State Law Minister Arun Sahoo said a whopping 12,86,902 cases were pending in High Court and other lower courts in the State. Of total unresolved cases, the Orissa High Court has 1,70,597 cases including 36,087 criminal cases. Lower courts appear to be having complex situation to clear the burden of 11,16,305 cases.
The Law Minister said of these, 5,04,144 were five year old and older. Ironically, 81,311 cases older than five years are yet to be disposed of in Orissa High Court. “According to the State Finance Commission in 2011, the government has come out with Litigation Policy, as per which all five year old pending cases should have been cleared. Instead, number of pending cases is increasing further,” said senior BJP leader Dillip Ray.