Report No. 114

4.4. Difficulties of litigants.-

A litigant in search of justice since 1972 enriched his tale of woes at the workshop held in Banaras University at Varanasi. According to him, on an average, there is a floating population of 50,000 litigants including witnesses, who visit Varanasi District Court Compound daily. According to him, the average cost of transport plus snacks works out Rs. 10 per day per individual. The longest distance one has to travel to reach court at Varansi measures about 58 Kms. Most of the places in the hinterland within the jurisdiction of District Court at Varanasi are not connected by railway with Varanasi. Bus transport apart from being hazardous is very uncomfortable and tedious.

One is required to travel on an average 21/2 to 3 hours one way. It does not require a genius to calculate this wasteful expenditure on what is euphemistically called search for justice, but shown of embellishment it must be described as resolution of one's legitimate disputes. Cost benefit structure must take within its compass not only the State expenditure on establishment and maintenance of courts but the cost incurred by litigants on travel, food and sundry expenses for access to courts.

Comparatively speaking, instead of numerous litigants and witnesses travelling to the seat of court, the court, namely the presiding Judge and two lay Judges and one or two staff members, all can travel in a jeep to be provided by the State. Some allowance to these persons would have to be provided. But the litigants will save all expenses on travel, transport, food, expenses for witnesses and will simultaneously save loss of man days. Taking a very modest view of the matter, the Commission is of the view that there would be both qualitative and quantitative benefit by ushering in the model recommended herein.