The centre government extended the term of two first track court, Additional District and Session Court (FTC), Manipur East and Additional District and Session Court (FTC), Manipur west along with the posts created for functioning of the said two courts for one year till March, 2011.
Though the term expired in March this year, the Manipur state government had extended the term for another one year considering the number of cases disposed by the two Fast Track Courts (FTCs) during the five years tenure.
A total of 792 cases pending different lower courts were disposed by the two FTCs in five years. FTC Manipur East disposed 677 cases at the average of 135.4 per year while the rest 792 cases were disposed by the FTC Manipur which is at the average of 158.4 a year.
However, Union ministry of Law and Justice informed the state government that the Centre had decided to extend the central funding for the FTCs across the country for another five year at the rate of Rs 4.80 lakh a year to each FTC.
It further stated that the central assistance for 2010-11 will be made available to a minimum of 156 FTCs which are in operation since March 2005.
Mention may be made that at the time of extension of the term of the two FTCs, Manipur government decided that all the expenditure during this period will be borne by the state government with the funds to be received from the Centre as pending re-imbursement from the Centre.
However, government could not extend 17 posts which were created on ad-hoc basis for the smooth functioning of the courts in addition to the deputed posts from the state law department.
An officials disclosed that with the Centre assurance to provide financial assistance, law department has issued an order regarding the extension of the 17 posts with the consent of the state government, While extending the 17 ad-hoc posts, law department will incurred Rs 27,95,464 per annum, source added.
~ NP
