KOLLAM: The first-ever Gram Nyayalaya or village court in the state will open at Chadayamangalam here on February 20 to address the backlog of pending cases in courts.
The court will be a solace to the people of rural Kollam as their unresolved disputes that remain pending for several years in other courts will be settled in a single sitting.
“Such a village court has been the long-pending demand of the people of Eastern Kollam. The area under the jurisdiction of the court at Chadayamangalam is vast, which helps numerous cases to be settled here itself without going to courts in Kollam city, saving time. Initially, the village court will mostly address civil disputes only,” Chadayamangalam Panchayat president Manikantan Pillai told DC.
A new building has been set up adjacent to the Block Panchayat office at Chadayamangalam for the court. The court will find solutions to disputes including inter personal issues, property disputes, and family matters.
The court officials including the judge could visit the disputed area or family to listen directly to their grievances. The case will be then considered for a sitting in which solution will be ordered.
In the village court, a Nyayadhikari or a Judge, who is qualified enough to be a Judicial First Class Magistrate, will be appointed in consultation with the Kerala High Court. A village court was at first proposed to be set up at Nedumkandam in Idukki two years back, but did not materialise, an official from the judiciary told DC.
The State Government had issued a notification to set up as many as 30 village courts across the state in 2013 in cooperation with the Block panchayats.
It is based on the Gram Nyayalaya Act adopted by Parliament in 2008 and came into effect in October 2009 which mandates setting up of village courts in the country to address backlog of cases.
