The Maharashtra government today informed the Bombay High Court that it had decided to establish additional district courts in the state.
Government pleader Abhinandan Vagyani informed the division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice B P Colabawalla that the government is willing to set up additional posts of judges, but requires a formal proposal from the High Court.
The registrar of the High Court informed the bench that a formal proposal had been sent to the Law and Judiciary department on October 18 stating that there was a need to create additional 179 posts of judges in the state.
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Vagyani said the proposal will be put up before the cabinet and a decision will be taken within three weeks.
The High Court is hearing a public interest litigation by activist Vihar Durve, filed through advocate N R Bubna, seeking additional fast track courts to try cases of crime against women as per the directives of the Supreme Court.
The High Court has also asked the government to place on record the particulars of the money spent so far from the amount sanctioned by the Centre for Maharashtra on the recommendations of the 13th Finance Commission to improve the justice delivery system.
The court was informed that after the last hearing the Central government had released Rs 80 crore to the state government.
There are over 56,000 cases about crime against women pending before the lower courts besides 90,000 cases of motor accident claims, as per the official statistics.
Altogether 11,074 cases and 45,057 cases relating to crime against women were pending before the sessions courts and magistrates courts respectively.
The HC posted the next hearing for December 15.
