The UPA government is planning a new bill to check corruption of public servants, especially concerning undeclared or benami properties. The proposed bill would have provisions for confiscation of benami property.
Talking to reporters here on Sunday, Union minister for law Veerappa Moily said that the Centre was serious about checking corruption and the proposed bill would take ample care of it.
Mr Moily added that within three months all subordinate courts across the country would become fast track courts settling matters within three years and corruption matters between six months to a year.
A sum of `20,000 crores has been given to all state governments for this.
Replying to a question about the 235 fast track courts in the state becoming null and void next month with the lapse of the law that created them, the minister said that from this year instead of having two categories of courts, all courts would become fast track.
“The 21 Chief Justices of the high courts across the country have already been instructed to work on this and within three months this should become operational. The Central government has already sanctioned `20,000 crores to make the necessary changes for this,” he explained.
He said the Central government’s agenda for right to justice, like right to information, includes multi-pronged measures including judicial reforms, parity in legal education and removing bias against women in existing laws by making them gender neutral. Talking about the concept of judicial reforms, he said that no case would remain pending beyond three years. “This will be taken care of by making all subordinate courts fast track,” he pointed out.
He said the “Gramin Nyayalayas” (rural courts), which were introduced in 2009, would also help in speeding up the judicial system.