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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
RAJYA SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO.11
ANSWERED ON 29/01/2026
JUDICIAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN ODISHA
11 Shri Muzibulla Khan:
Will the Minister of Law and Justice be pleased to state:
(a) whether Government proposes to strengthen judicial infrastructure in Odisha, particularly
in Cuttack and district courts;
(b) the current judge-population ratio in the State;
(c) the steps taken to reduce pendency of cases in Odisha High Court;
(d) whether additional benches of High Court are under consideration; and
(e) the measures taken to improve access to justice in tribal and backward districts?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW AND
JUSTICE; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY
AFFAIRS
(SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)
(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
1STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (E) IN RESPECT OF
RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.11 FOR REPLY ON 29.01.2026
REGARDING ‘JUDICIAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN ODISHA’.
(a) The primary responsibility for development of infrastructure facilities for District and
Subordinate Judiciary rests with the State Governments/UTs. However, to augment the
resources of the State Governments/UTs, the Central Government has been implementing a
Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for the Development of Infrastructure Facilities for
Judiciary in the District and Subordinate Courts since 1993-94, by providing financial
assistance in the prescribed fund-sharing pattern between the Centre and States/UTs. The fund
sharing pattern for the State of Odisha is 60:40 for Centre and State. The Scheme covers five
components, viz. Court Halls, Residential Units for Judicial Officers, Lawyers’ Halls, Toilet
Complexes and Digital Computer Rooms for the convenience of lawyers and litigants. Total
Central assistance of Rs.284.77 crore (as on 31.12.2025) has been provided to the State of
Odisha since inception of the Scheme, out of which Rs. 194.53 crore has been provided since
FY 2014-15. As on 31.12.2025, State of Odisha have 913 Court Halls and 778 Residential units.
(b) As per the latest information provided by the Odisha High Court, the current Judge
population ratio of the State is approximately 20.50 against the national average of
approximately 22 Judges per million population.
(c) Disposal of cases pending in various courts lies within the domain of the judiciary. No
fixed time frame has been prescribed for disposal of various kinds of cases by the respective
courts. Timely disposal of cases in courts depends on several factors which, inter-alia, include
availability of adequate number of Judges and Judicial officers, supporting court staff and
physical infrastructure, complexity of facts involved, nature of evidence, co-operation of stake
holders viz bar, investigation agencies, witnesses, litigants and proper application of rules and
procedures. However, the Government is fully committed for speedy disposal of cases and
reducing pendency as mandated under Article 21 of the Constitution. The Government has
taken several initiatives to provide an ecosystem for faster disposal of cases by the judiciary
which, inter-alia, involves better infrastructure for courts including computerization, increase
in strength of subordinate judiciary, policy and legislative measures in the areas prone to
excessive litigation, re-engineering of court procedure for quick disposal of cases and emphasis
on human resource development.
Further, use of alternative dispute resolution mechanism, establishing Family Courts and
Fast track Courts is being promoted for speedy resolution of disputes. The disposal of old cases
particularly 10, 20 or 30 years old is also monitored by the High Court as per directions of the
Hon’ble Supreme Court of India set out in Action Plan for Arrears Reduction in District
Judiciary (APAaR-DJ).
(d) High Court Benches are established in accordance with the recommendations made by the
Jaswant Singh Commission and judgment pronounced by the Apex Court in W.P.(C) No.379
of 2000. The proposal from the State Government with a commitment to provide necessary
2expenditure and infrastructural facilities along with the consent of the Chief Justice of the
concerned High Court and approval of the Governor of the concerned State are a prerequisite
for processing such cases. At present there is no such proposal pending with the Government
for setting up of a Bench of Odisha High Court.
(e) In order to improve access to justice in tribal and backward districts, Department of Justice,
Ministry of Law and Justice has imparted pre-litigation Legal Advice to 4,06,886 citizens
through the programme of Tele-Law under the Scheme of Designing Innovative Solution for
Holistic Access to Justice (DISHA). Details of beneficiaries are as under:
Legal Advice Enabled-Gender and Category-wise (As on 31.12.2025)
Female 1,45,524
Gender Male 2,61,362
Total 4,06,886
OBC 97,919
SC 1,37,540
Category ST 94,159
General 77,268
Total 4,06,886
NALSA has also promulgated various schemes for the beneficiaries and regulations to
ensure effective discharge of the obligations by the Legal Services Institutions set up under the
Legal Services Authorities Act,1987. In the current financial year (up to November 2025),
12,286 persons have been provided legal aid in the State of Odisha through various schemes.
During the year 2025, Odisha State Legal Services Authority has organised four National Lok
Adalats through which 9,97,458 cases were settled.
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