Steps taken to speed up cases in revisional courts: Govt to HC

Adequate number of law officers will also be appointed in the revisional courts.
Orissa High Court
Orissa High CourtPhoto | Express
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CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has expressed satisfaction over the new guidelines drawn up by the government to deal with the 1.31 lakh cases pending before the 40 different revisional courts for land disputes in the state.

Accordingly, the single judge bench of Justice BP Satapathy on Monday disposed of the petition regarding inordinate delay in admission of matters in the revisional courts. The petitioner Guruprasad Mohapatra, a resident of Odagaon area in Nayagarh district, alleged that petitions filed in 2022 were yet to be taken up for admission.

The high court was informed about the new guidelines by additional chief secretary Revenue and Disaster Management department Deoranjan Kumar Singh and member Board of Revenue CJ Venugopal in their respective affidavits filed in pursuance to the court’s order issued on September 25.

The two affidavits said as per the new guidelines all the revisional courts shall hold courts for a minimum period of three days in a week, so as to streamline the functioning and reduce the pendency of cases thereby. Adequate number of law officers will also be appointed in the revisional courts.

“The presiding officers and court officers shall ensure admission of at least 50 old cases per day till completion of the process of admission of all old cases and simultaneous admission of new cases will be taken up within six months,” the affidavits stated.

The presiding officers shall also take steps for analogous hearing of cases having similar prayers within a time bound manner, the affidavits stated while assuring to give natural justice to petitioners in old cases and remove defects within a month.

Endorsing the measures spelled out in the two affidavits, Justice Satapathy expressed hope that the authorities will ensure implementation of the steps planned to reduce the huge backlog of cases.

Earlier, the member Board of Revenue had filed an affidavit stating that 1,31,532 cases in the matter of Orissa Survey & Settlement Act, 1958 and Orissa Consolidation of Holdings & Prevention of Fragmentation of Land Act, 1972 were pending before the revisional courts. The affidavit admitted that 7,787 cases are pending for admission.

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