BENGALURU: The Supreme Court on Thursday sought information from state governments and high courts on steps being taken to set up Gram Nyayalayas, also known as Village Panchayats. The aim of the initiative is to take the courts to the village level.
Karnataka Law Minister J C Maduswamy told TNIE that the proposal had come up for discussion at the All India Law Ministers’ meeting held recently and that the state had backed the initiative. He said the state government is planning to start Gram Nyayalayas in phases in villages, wherever needed, across the state. He said a process has begun to identify efficient people in the villages who can sort out issues locally. Once Karnataka sets up the nyayalayas, it will join the club of a few states in the country that have taken judicial service to the grassroots. The other states that have made progress in this direction are Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra and Orissa.
According to sources, Karnataka has formed a committee of high court judges, comprising Justices Dinesh Kumar, Prabhakar Shastry, S. Amarannanavar and S. Rachaiah, to discuss ways to implement the proposal. The government has also set aside Rs 25 lakh for this purpose. The process involves appointing a judicial officer in every village to ensure that people dont have to go to larger benches in the district to access the legal system.
Madhuswamy also said that the government is working at making the solution legally binding to ensure that issues are not squabbled upon endlessly.