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Rajya Sabha passes Gram Nyayalaya Bill

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Cutting across party lines, members in the Upper House on Wednesday unanimously passed the Gram Nyayalaya Bill 2008 aimed at providing inexpensive justice to people in rural areas on their doorstep.

The Bill also provides for first class judicial magistrates dispensing justice.

Law Minister Hansraj Bhardwaj said he had sought the help of Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh to send at least 3000 judges, who will be the judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) to the courts. They will be called ‘Nyaya Adhikaris.’

“They are strictly judicial officers. They will be drawing the same salary, deriving the same powers as the first class magistrates working under the High Courts,” Mr. Bhardwaj said in reply to the debate.

The Gram Nyayalayas, for which the Centre will bear the full cost on capital account, are being described as a revolutionary step. These courts will sit at the district headquarters and in taluks. They will go in a bus or jeep to the village, work there and dispose of the cases. The cost of litigation would be borne by the state and not by the litigant.

Replying to criticism that the money earmarked in the bill for the courts’ expenditure was not enough, Mr. Bhardwaj said Rs. 6.4 lakh would be the recurring expenditure, including salary of the staff, per annum while total capital expenditure would be met by the Centre.

Mr. Bhardwaj said tribal areas had not been covered and a mobile court would be set up at the block level.

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