Six additional district courts in Odisha

Source – newindianexpress.com

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha government will open six Additional District and Sessions courts in the State this year. A proposal to this effect has been approved by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

The courts will be opened at Cuttack, Bhadrak, Nilagiri in Balasore, Udala in Mayurbhanj, Pattamundai in Kendrapara and Khariar in Nuapada district.

While it will be fourth Additional District and Sessions Court in Cuttack district headquarters, Bhadrak will get second such court. The government has decided to open the courts following commendation of Chief Justice of Orissa High Court Kalpesh Satyendra Jhaveri.

Law Minister Pratap Jena said the courts will be opened by end of the year. The proposal has been approved by the Chief Minister. “Opening of more courts will definitely strengthen the judicial system and help clear backlogs bringing relief to petitioners,” he said.

Earlier, a high-level committee of the state government had decided to open Courts of Civil Judge(Senior Division)-cum-Assistant Sessions Judge at five places and Additional District and Sessions Judge at 10 places.

While Additional District and Sessions courts were to be set up at Bargarh, Jajpur and Jagatsinghpur apart from the six places, Civil Judge (Senior Division) courts were to be opened at Jaipatna in Kalahandi, Purusottampur and Hinjilicut in Ganjam, G Udaygiri in Kandhamal and Kantamal in Boudh district.

As many as 119 blocks in the state do not have Civil Judge-cum-JMFC court. Mayurbhanj district has highest 19 blocks which do not have a Civil Judge-cum-JMFC court followed by seven blocks each in Balangir, Sambalpur and Sundargarh districts.

The Law Minister had informed the Assembly during the monsoon session that the decision on opening of courts in other places will be taken keeping the financial condition of the state in mind.

Though as per the India Justice Report 2019 on police, judiciary, prisons and legal aid, the case clearance rate in Orissa High Court and subordinate courts is best in the country, lakhs of cases are still pending in different courts in the State due to lack of adequate number of courts.