CMs for revival of fast-track courts

The chief ministers from several states, including Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday called for setting up fast-track courts and sought enhanced Central assistance for improvement of the justice delivery mechanism.
Speaking at a conference of chief ministers and Chief Justices of high courts, Mr Modi said, “I request the Union government to rethink the re-establishment of the system of FTCs and increase the financial allocation for the same”.
He pointed out that FTCs were discontinued after the Central assistance was withdrawn two years ago. He said Gujarat had initiated 166 FTCs which had disposed of nearly four lakh cases.
Mr Modi attacked the Centre for not waiting for the “fruits” of the FTC system to be “delivered”. “Such short term vision and frequent changes in policy create a lack of faith in the system,” he said.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav in his speech read in absentia said after the Centre withdrew assistance for FTCs, the state government did not think it appropriate to re-establish them. Mr Yadav said while the state was willing to set up special courts to try cases related to murder, rape and issues related to children and the elderly, it had limited resources to support them.
While Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said 83 FTCs were functioning in his state with Central assistance. Despite the Centre withdrawing funds for the scheme, 43 FTCs were run till November, 2012 to dispose of pending cases with expenses being borne by the state government.
Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda welcomed the recent suggestion of the Centre that FTCs be provided funds from the 13th Finance Commission.
In the wake of gangrape in Delhi, the law ministry is pushing for early setting up of fast-track courts across the country to try heinous crimes and civil cases having human dimension. Union law and justice minister Ashwani Kumar had written to the chief ministers and Chief Justices of the high courts to set up such courts. Till 2005, there were up to 1500 fast-track courts in the country.
While 13 chief ministers attended the conference, most states were represented by their law ministers and officials. The conference was organised by the law ministry after a gap of four years.