PROGRESS OF
FAST TRACK COURTS
The Centre has released
a sum of Rs. 316.27 crores to the States, so far, out of Rs. 502.90
crores for setting up of 1734 Fast Track Courts all over the country.
These courts are fully funded by the Centre.
Under a policy
decision, all the Fast Track Courts will be fully functional by
December 31, 2002.
So far, 1225
Fast Tack Courts have been set up. Out of this, 900 such courts
have become functional. These courts have disposed of 63,586 sessions
level cases since April 1, 2002 out of 1,63,025 cases transferred
to them.
All the under
trial cases have been given priority for disposal by Fast Tack
Courts. Besides, all sessions cases pending for two years or more
have been given priority.
At present, there
are about two lakh under trails in jails throughout the country.
The State Governments have to spend about Rs. 461 crores on their
maintenance annually at the rate of Rs. 55 per day per person
in jail. Fast disposal of cases of these under trials will help
their release from jails, thus, saving the State Governments such
a large sum which would be cycled for various developments.
The Supreme Courts
has approved the constitutional validity of Fast Track Courts
and directed the Chief Justices of High Courts and the Chief Ministers
of States to fill all the vacancies of presiding judges of Fast
Track Courts within three months from May 6, 2002 in Brij Mohan
Lal Vs. Union of India case.
