Visakhapatnam: Vice-president M. Venkaiah Naidu has expressed concern over pending of 3.12 crore cases in the courts including those stuck in the Supreme Court.
He said that lack of manpower and adequate infrastructure led to pending cases. Mr Naidu was addressing advocates on the occasion of the 125th anniversary celebrations of Visakhapatnam District Courts and Bar Council here on Saturday.
Mr Naidu said that people were fed up as cases were pending from their father and grandfather’s time.
“As the economy is growing fast in India, the disputes will also rise. Subsequently, court cases will also increase. The lawyers should also discourage unnecessary adjournment of the cases. Cases should be settled through Lok Adalat and other ways also,” he added.
The V-P said that the election petitions and criminal cases against politicians should be cleared within six months. “Special Courts should be set up to clear the criminal cases against politicians within six months. The election petitions that were filed before 2009 elections are still pending. There will not be much use of clearing them after so many years.”
Lashing out at defections in the political parties, he said, “An MLA in the opposition party is becoming a minister by joining the ruling party. These candidates should be disqualified without fail. This is for the first time in the last 44 years that I’m not dealing with politics during the elections. I have retired from politics but I am not tired of serving the people.”
He added, “I came here because of the attachment I have with Visakhapatnam and the court here. I used to visit the courts here to listen to the arguments when I was studying law in Andhra University Law College. My life changed after being jailed during the emergency where I met Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan. He inspired me to enter active politics.”
