Centre for minimising fresh litigation

In a bid to reduce pendency and curtail litigation by the government, Union Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has written to all Union ministers and state chief ministers to launch 'special arrears clearance drives' to withdraw frivolous cases and minimise fresh litigation. The Centre has passed the directive after realising that its departments are litigants in nearly half (46 per cent) of the 3.14 crore litigations pending in different courts in the country.

Prasad has asked all ministries to identify "frivolous and vexatious matters", separate them from matters with merit, and take quick steps to either withdraw or dispose of them speedily". "The government must cease to be a compulsive litigant and executive power should be made use of to reduce the grievances of future litigants," Prasad has stated in the letter he wrote last week.

Prasad also asked all ministries and states to submit quarterly compliance reports on reducing pendency by withdrawing, settling, or disposing of cases.