Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : As on October 31, 2021, altogether 914 Fast Track Courts (FTCs) are functional in the country for heinous crimes, crimes against women and children etc. Further, The Government has approved a scheme for setting up 1,023 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) across the country for expeditious disposal of pending cases of Rape under IPC and crimes under POCSO Act. As on date, 28 States/UTs have joined the scheme for setting up of 842 FTSCs including 363 ‘exclusive POCSO Courts’.
Rs 140 crore was released in the financial year 2019-20 and Rs 160 crore was released during the financial year 2020-21 for the scheme. A total 681 FTSCs are presently functional including 381 exclusive POCSO Courts, which disposed 64,217 cases as on October 31, 2021. The continuation of the Scheme of FTSC has been approved for another two years (2021-23) at a total outlay of Rs 1,572.86 crore, including Rs 971.70 crore as Central share. This information was given by Kiren Rijiju, Union Law & Justice Minister ,in Lok Sabha on December 17, 2021, according to a PIB release.
The Central Government is fully committed to speedy disposal of all cases including cases involving offences against women in accordance with Article 21 of the Constitution and reducing pendency. The Government has taken several initiatives to provide an ecosystem for faster disposal of cases by the judiciary.
The Fourteenth Finance Commission endorsed the proposal of the Government to strengthen the judicial system in States which included, inter-alia, establishing Fast Track Courts for cases of heinous crimes; cases involving senior citizens, women, children etc., and urged the State Governments to use the additional fiscal space provided in the form of enhanced tax devolution from 32% to 42% to meet such requirements, said Rijiju.