SANGAREDDY: With a view to provide legal assistance to the rural folks at their doorstep, we are planning to set up ‘Grama Nyayalayalu ‘ (Village Courts) in villages, chief justice of the AP High Court justice Madan B Lokur has said.
This is to lessen the burden on the courts at the district level and also to help solve small cases and issue speedy disposals at the mandal level without forcing litigants to rush to the districts, he said.
Speaking after inaugurating a special mobile court here on Sunday, justice Lokur said persons resorting to corrupt practices in the developmental s cheme s pa r t i cul a r l y NREGS would henceforth be tried by special mobile court in the state.
The Sangareddy mobile court will be the first of the 13 such courts being set up in the state as part of the Andhra Pradesh Promotion of Social Audit and Prevention of Corrupt Practices (APPSA&PCP) Ordinance, 2011.
The court would take cognizance of the cases and hold trial in the village, on a dayto- day basis, where the irregularities were reported.
The courts would deliberate at the door steps of the victims on injustice and corrupt practices.
The special courts were intended to fast-track the cases related to irregularities in the rural job scheme.
They would ensure trial of such offences and expedite disposal of cases.
Justice Lokur said just by setting up courts would not serve the purpose and asked the government to appoint the required staff including public prosecutors.
The mobile courts should go to the people, elicit their opinion and thoroughly investigate the malpractices, he said.
Lokur also called upon the people and the public representatives to be alert and follow up the case and not wash off their hands after making a complaint.
The purpose of special mobile courts would be served only when the NREGS functions without any irregularities.
He also asked the people to avail themselves of the RTI Act and suggested to the government to take steps to create awareness among the people about the Act.
Rural development minister D Manikya Varaprasad speaking on the occasion said mobile courts were a boon to curb irregularities in employment schemes.
Law minister E Pratap Reddy and women and child welfare minister V Sunitha Reddy also felt that under the ordinance, criminal prosecution of persons accused of embezzlement of funds would be based on the findings of the social audit rather than the police investigation.
Principal secretary R Subrahmaniam, law secretary Damodar Reddy chief vigilance officer Sudharani, district collector S Suresh Kumar attended the programme.