Report No. 114

3.3. Recommendations of Panchayat Raj Committee and Legal Aid Committee set up by the Government of Gujarat.-

The Government of Gujarat appointed a Committee styled as the High Level Committee on Panchayati Raj. It submitted its report in 1972. Nyaya Panchayats have been dealt with in Chapter XIII of the Report. Before this report is taken into consideration, it would be necessary to refer to the Chapter on Nyaya Panchayats in the Report of the Legal Aid Committee, 1971 set up by the Government of Gujarat under the Chairmanship of the then Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court Justice P.N. Bhagwati. The Committee recommended a new pattern of Nyaya Panchayat with a Panchayati Raj Judge to be assisted by two members from amongst a panel of persons to be drawn-up by the Collector of the District to act as Members of Nyaya Panchayat.

It advocated as far as possible on the spot resolution of dispute by Panchayati Raj Judge and its two Members. It recommended a simple procedure more or less guided by justice, equity and good conscience. It in terms said that the procedure should be simple and uncomplicated and it should not be befogged by technicalities or complexities. The Panchayati Raj Committee more or less agreed with the recommendations of the Legal Aid Committee save and except that it was opposed to nomination of two Members of the Panchayati court by the Collector and it advocated election.