SHILLONG: The Meghalaya government is ready to examine the feasibility of a proposal of UDP legislator Paul Lyngdoh to appoint judges in the courts at sub-division levels as part of the process of separation of the Judiciary from the Executive, Deputy Chief Minister in charge Law department Rowell Lyngdoh said in the Assembly on Friday in reply to a question from the UDP legislator.
The Deputy Chief Minister, however, ruled out the suggestion of Paul Lyngdoh that more fast track courts should be set up in the State.
“The Government needs to seriously consider the need to set up of these fast track courts in various districts of the State in view of the rise in the crime graph especially on the crime committed against women and children,” Lyngdoh said during the Question Hour
Paul Lyngdoh said that in accordance with a ruling of the Supreme Court, the State Government should take up the responsibilities of setting up of these fast track courts on its own after the funding of the Centre came to an end.
“It would be an injustice for the deprived section of the society if the Government decides to wind up these fast track courts,” the UDP legislator observed.
In his reply, Rowell Lyngdoh said that the State Government did not have any intention to continue to have the fast track courts in the State since the project had been funded by the Centre. “The project for setting of the fast track courts is expected to end in 2015. After the winding up of the fast tract courts, the pending cases would be taken up by the normal courts,” the Deputy Chief Minister said. At present there are three fast track courts in the State, located in Shillong, Tura and Jowai.
Out of the total of 558 cases taken up by the fast track court in Tura, 521 cases had been disposed of and only 37 cases were still pending. Out of the total of 334 cases taken up by the fast track court in Shillong, 273 had been disposed of while 61 were still pending. At Jowai, out of the total of 543 cases, altogether 373 had been resolved while 170 cases were still pending.
Joining in the discussion, Nongkrem legislator Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit wanted to know why the process of disposal of cases in the fast track court at Jowai was slow.
“I think that the Government needs to direct the judge to speed up the process of disposal of cases,” Basaiawmoit said.
