This refers to M J Antony's column "The Cinderella of all Budgets" (Out of Court, February 25). If Budget provision as a percentage of the gross domestic product is taken as the yardstick for measuring government priority, the judiciary would rank among the lowest with a share of just 0.2 to 0.4 per cent. This has a telling effect on its performance. While the number of pending cases runs into millions, more than 25 per cent of posts lying vacant makes the situation alarming. Besides, an inadequate Budget makes judges' working conditions truly appalling. One may visit the lower courts in the talukas and districts to see rickety fans, old wooden benches and chairs, noise all around and dingy court rooms, where the judges have to pay a lot of attention to the goings-on to do justice to their job. The computerisation of data, which could have added to the efficiency, progresses at a snail's pace, if at all.
Since our judiciary, by tradition and training, is wary of lobbying for its requirements publicly and shuns agitational approach unlike those of the other government employees, it becomes the responsibility of the executive to provide for its work needs proactively. The government should break the practice of halwa for the vociferous agitators (like public sector banks).
Y G Chouksey Pune
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