Maharashtra ahead in recruiting judges: CM

Aurangabad, Oct 19: Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh claimed that the state was much ahead of other states in terms of recruiting judges to provide justice to commonman.

Mr Deshmukh was speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of Advocates' Chamber at the district bench of the Bombay High Court yesterday, presided over by Bombay High Court Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar. Earlier, the Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan, laid the foundation stone of the Chamber.

Mr Deshmukh said the state government had approved 100 posts of first class judicial magistrate, followed by 175 posts of civil court judges (senior grade) and 1,515 posts of other employees, for providing justice instantaneously.

He said the government had made financial provision of Rs 562.54 crore for the judiciary during the current fiscal year. Additional district and sessions courts were established in 39 tehsils, while new family courts were started at Akola, Amravati, Nashik and Kolhapur, the Chief Minister said.

''Around two lakh disputes were settled through Maharashtra Legal Services Authority under ''Tantamukta Gaon'' scheme in the state, while several pending cases were settled through Lok Adalat,'' he said.

Mr Deshmukh also requested Justice K G Balakrishnan to establish ''National School of Law'' in the district.

Meanwhile, Justice Kumar said pending cases were settled on large scale in the state, due to cooperation from all the High Court judges and lawyers under a special drive.

''Besides doing justice, the Court had also collected Rs 12 lakh for the flood victims in Bihar as a social responsibility, he said, adding the Chamber will be of help to the lawyers and their clients.

UNI