HCs should set up special courts for cases pending for over 5 years: Union minister Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said High Courts should set up special courts for the speedy disposal of cases pending for more than five years.

Chairing the 26th meeting of the Central Zonal Council (CZC) in Jagdalpur, headquarters of Chhattisgarh's Bastar district, Shah also said timely DNA testing in cases registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and rape cases could raise conviction rates in these offences to ''100 per cent''.

The meeting was attended by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami along with senior officials, said an official release.

Shah said it was a matter of ''great joy'' that the meeting was being held in Bastar after achieving the ''historic milestone'' of a Naxal-free India.

The entire credit for making India Naxal-free goes to the hard work and bravery of the jawans of our security forces, he said, adding that coordinated efforts by intelligence agencies, state police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) ensured timely and decisive action against Naxalites.

He said development initiatives were simultaneously carried out in areas freed from Naxalism under the ''Whole of Government Approach'', with state governments and central departments working together.

''Our fight is not over yet because Naxal-affected areas have been lagging behind in the race for development for nearly five decades. The effort would continue until these regions matched the rest of the country in terms of development,'' the release quoted Shah as saying.

After resolving all contentious issues between the states (in the central zonal council) as well as those between the states and the Centre, the meeting was being held in a very positive and cordial atmosphere, he said.

The meeting focused mainly on monitoring development works, including Jal Jeevan Mission-2, nutrition, health, education, financial inclusion and power sector reforms.

Union Home Minister said that if timely DNA testing is conducted in POCSO and rape cases, the conviction rate in these cases can increase to 100 per cent.

The High Courts should establish special courts for the speedy disposal of cases pending in courts for more than five years, Shah said, adding that the administration must demonstrate seriousness in dealing with serious crimes.

He also called upon all the chief ministers and chief secretaries to join hands and move forward shoulder to shoulder with the Government of India in the fight against malnutrition.

The Union minister also stressed the need to reduce school dropout rates and improve the quality of education.

Ensuring banking facilities within a five-kilometre radius was a major achievement as most welfare schemes are linked to Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), he said.

Shah also urged states to implement their 1930 cybercrime helplines in line with the Union Home Ministry's model format, and modernise their call centres.

On food adulteration cases, he said penalties imposed on guilty establishments should be widely publicised to create public awareness.

Referring to the implementation of the new criminal laws, Shah said the three ''Naveen Nyaya Sanhitas'' had been implemented effectively but further emphasis was needed on certain aspects.

The government should aim to ensure disposal of every criminal case, including those reaching the Supreme Court, within three years before 2029, he said.

Highlighting the functioning of Zonal Councils, Shah said India's federal structure had become stronger under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, and regular council meetings had helped resolve disputes among states and between states and the Centre.

Only 11 Zonal Council meetings were held between 2004 and 2014, compared to 32 meetings between 2014 and 2026, he said while also pointing out that Standing Committee meetings increased from 14 to 35 during the same period.

Between 2004 and 2014, discussions were held on just 569 issues at these meetings, whereas from 2014 to 2026, discussions have taken place on 1,729 issues, out of which nearly 80 per cent have also been resolved, he said.

A large number of the pending issues are related to monitoring, in which there is no dispute of any kind, he added.

The Central Zonal Council comprises the states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Shah said the region, stretching from the Himalayas to the Gangetic plains and mineral-rich central Indian plateaus, was strategically important for the country's food security, economic development and cultural heritage.

Chhattisgarh connects nearly seven states, which gives the entire Central Zone immense strategic importance. Today this entire region has become not only Naxal-free but also free from disputes, which is a matter of great joy for all of us, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)