The union cabinet today decided to take forward the proposal to set up mobile courts at panchayat level. The cabinet gave its approval for further pursuing the Gram Nyayalayas Bill in Parliament and to move Official Amendments in Rajya Sabha.Briefing the media after the meeting, information and broadcasting minister P R Dasmunsi said, "First class magistrates would head the Nyayalayas and nearly 6,000 magistrates would be required across the country for the purpose".The Gram Nyayalayas Bill 2007 was introduced in the Monsoon session of Parliament and was referred to the standing committee.A bulk of the recommendations of the Committee have been accepted by the government and official amendments would be moved in the Upper House in the next session, he said adding the legislation would reduce considerable number of pending cases in subordinate judiciary."This would establish a system of judiciary which will be less expensive, free from protracted procedural wrangles, quick and available at the grass-root level, accessible to the common man and render justice to him as enshrined in article 39A of the Constitution," Dasmunsi said.The cabinet also approved the hospital patient care allowance for categories of group C and D (non-ministerial) employees working in railway health units, hospitals and super speciality railway hospitals. Group C and D categories employees will get hospital care allowance at the rate of Rs 700 per month and Rs 695 per month, while patient care allowance shall be admissible at the rate of Rs 690 per month to both the categories.A proposal to extend the coverage of Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) to Uniformed Coast Guard Pensioners and retired personnel of Defence Security Corps (DSC) has been approved by the cabinet.The cabinet today gave its approval for up-gradation and construction of road from Zaranj to Delaram in Afghanistan at an expense of Rs 746.79 crore. "The project will be executed by Border Roads Organisation. The road would help Afghanistan to provide communication facility in remote part of the country and it would give India improved access into Afghanistan and Central Asia. This would also open an alternate route for Afghanistan to an Iranian seaport", the I&B minister said.The cabinet also gave its approval for the extension of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis from January 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009, with continuation of 32 posts. This will facilitate the socio-economic development of Safai Karamcharis, a cabinet release said.
