Judiciary only gets Rs.74 crore hike in budget

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Thursday hiked the budget for the administration of justice by a mere Rs.74.1 crore over and above the allocation made in the revised budget estimates for 2013-14.

While in the revised budget estimate for 2013-14, the total allocation was Rs.1,973.15 crore, for the current financial year, it has been increased to Rs.2,047.25 crore under the plan and non-plan allocations.

The plan allocation under the National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms has been pegged at Rs.87.30 crore. In 2013-14, this allocation was Rs.44 crore but it was reduced to Rs.1 crore in the revised estimates.

For the computerisation of district and subordinate courts, an allocation of Rs.58 crore has been made, which is Rs.19.58 crore less than Rs.77.8 crore earmarked for this head in the revised budget estimates for 2013-14.

The non-plan expenditure under the head of "other expenditures" is Rs.173.09 crore, which is Rs.66.50 crore more than Rs.106.59 crore in the revised estimates for 2013-14.

The provision for the infrastructural facilities for judiciary has been shifted to states and union territories plan.

An amount of Rs.782.40 have been earmarked for the infrastructural facilities for judiciary in the states and Rs.60 crore earmarked for the grant-in-aid for the union territories.

The northeastern region and Sikkim have been allocated a lumpsum allocation of Rs.93.60 crore for the projects/schemes.

In the head of budgetary support, Rs.150.30 crore have been earmarked for the administration of justice and Rs.110.30 crore for the northeastern areas.

There is no provision for assistance to the states for establishing the Gram Nyayalayas.