Chittoor Judiciary Ramps up Efforts to Clear 91,221 Backlog Cases

Speaking at a quarterly conference for judicial officers on Sunday, Rao instructed the courts to make concerted efforts to clear the substantial backlog of 91,221 cases awaiting resolution as of February 28. This includes 46,938 civil cases and 44,283 criminal matters.

“Only 569 cases have been disposed of since the last judicial officers' conference,” Rao stated. “We must take proactive steps, coordinating with revenue and police officials wherever necessary, to quickly resolve long-standing land and criminal disputes.”

Rao highlighted the need to prioritise old pending cases from before 2019 as per the directives from the Andhra Pradesh High Court. A district coordination committee meeting was held on February 19 with the district collector, superintendent of police and other officials to discuss the backlog.

While the District Legal Services Authority continues conducting Lok Adalats, Bhima Rao appealed for further efforts to settle cases through alternative dispute resolution mechanism. He noted that 161 legal literacy camps were organised recently to raise awareness.

The judicial officers were also apprised of logistical updates, with Rao assuring any requirements for air conditioning, CCTV cameras and computers for courts would be addressed through budgetary allocations. Surprise inspections of subordinate courts by the District Principal Judge were also announced. The judicial conference saw participation from additional district judges, senior civil judges, junior civil judges and other court staff from across the combined Chittoor district.