The Aryavarth Express
Agency(New Delhi): The eCourts Mission Mode Project represents a pivotal shift in the Indian judiciary system, aiming to bring about a digital revolution in district and subordinate courts across the country. This national eGovernance project is focused on leveraging Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to expedite case disposal, streamline court processes, and offer transparent, online access to case status, orders, and judgments for the judiciary, litigants, lawyers, and other stakeholders.
The project’s Phase I, spanning from 2011 to 2015, concentrated on the basic computerization of courts and providing local network connectivity. This initial phase saw an expenditure of Rs. 639.41 crore. The subsequent Phase II, extending from 2015 to 2023, emphasized citizen-centric e-services, alongside computerizing 18,735 courts and connecting them through a wide area network (WAN). The financial outlay for this phase was Rs. 1670 crore, of which Rs. 1668.43 crore was released by the Department of Justice by March 31, 2022.
The Union Cabinet, in a meeting on September 13, 2023, approved eCourts Phase-III with a substantial budgetary outlay of Rs. 7210 crore. Following this, the Ministry of Finance released Rs. 225 crore for eCourts Phase III from the Contingency Fund. Out of this allocation, Rs. 102.50 crore was allocated to BSNL and NIC, and Rs. 110.24 crore was sub-allocated to various High Courts for activities such as scanning and digitization, e-Sewa Kendras, IT hardware for existing and new courts, solar power backup, etc.
The details of expenditure over the last five years, phase-wise, reveal a consistent investment in this transformative initiative. For instance, in the fiscal years 2019-20 and 2020-21, nearly Rs. 180 crore was allocated each year, with almost the entire sum being released. However, in 2022-23, no funds were released as the total outlay of Phase II was exhausted, and the Detailed Project Report for Phase III was under approval. As of January 10, 2024, Rs. 212.79 crore has been released under Phase III.
This comprehensive update on the eCourts Mission Mode Project was provided by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Law and Justice, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
