Government departments need to take steps to reduce pending court cases: Ravi Shankar Prasad

NEW DELHI: With the government being a major litigant and party to almost 46 per cent of the 3.14 crore cases pending in various courts in India, the Union Law Minister has proposed a “special arrears clearance drive” to reduce the mounting pendency of cases.

“The government must cease to be a compulsive litigant,” minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said and emphasised on the need to go on a “mission mode” to tackle the ever-increasing litigation being filed.

In his letter to Home Minister Rajnath Singh pinpointing the “crucial need to take (up) transformative measures to reduce pendency of court case(s)”, he said: “It is imperative to give top priority by all concerned ministries/departments to review all pending court cases and take up special arrears clearance drives.”

He has also written to all the chief ministers asking them to take measures in this regard. “The judiciary has to spend its maximum time in tackling cases where the government is a party, and the burden on judiciary can only be reduced if the cases are filed after taking a careful and considered view,” he said.

Prasad said ministries/departments “should identify frivolous and vexatious matters and separate them with the matters with merit and take quick steps to either withdraw or dispose them speedily”.

“Every matter needs to be looked into (in) depth in consultation with experts and (those) concerned before going to litigation,” the letter said.