13,000 Cases Pending in Four Districts: Revenue Minister Slams Pendency in AC Courts, Orders Time-Bound Disposal

Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda pulled up officials over 13,000 pending cases in AC courts across four districts around Bengaluru and directed time-bound disposal of cases pending for over six months.

Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda on Wednesday expressed strong displeasure over the mounting pendency of cases in semi-judicial courts functioning under the Assistant Commissioners (ACs), particularly in districts surrounding Bengaluru. He sharply reprimanded officials after it emerged that nearly 13,000 cases, accounting for about 69 per cent of the total pendency, remain unresolved in just four districts in and around the State capital.

The Minister issued strict directions to ensure that all cases pending for more than six months are mandatorily cleared by the end of March, underscoring the need for accountability and time-bound disposal. He also instructed newly appointed Revenue Commissioner Meena Nagaraj CN to personally monitor the progress of pending cases in AC courts every Saturday.

Monthly Progress Review Meeting

Krishna Byre Gowda made these observations during the monthly progress review meeting on court cases handled by sub-divisional officers, held at Vikas Soudha on Wednesday. Expressing deep disappointment, he noted that while around 19,000 cases are pending for disposal in AC courts across Karnataka, nearly 13,000 of these are concentrated in just four districts: Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru South (Ramanagara), and Tumakuru.

Majority of Pending Cases in Bengaluru Region

Taking a critical view of the skewed pendency, the Minister questioned the efficiency of officials in districts surrounding Bengaluru.

“If the highest number of court cases are pending in districts around Bengaluru, what am I to discuss in meetings with officials from other parts of the State? Only about 6,000 cases are pending in the remaining districts. It will be possible to raise questions at the State level only if officials in these four districts accelerate their work,” he said.

Pending Cases Reduced, but More Efforts Needed

Krishna Byre Gowda acknowledged that there has been some improvement, noting that the number of pending cases in the four districts has come down from 15,364 in October last year to 13,610 currently. However, he stressed that the pendency could be reduced further if officials prioritise the disposal of cases with missing records, cases not updated in the RCCMS, unfit cases, and matters reserved for orders.

He directed officials to clear such cases by the end of January, adding that a special review meeting for these four districts will be held in the first week of February. Based on the outcome, a comprehensive State-level progress review meeting involving all AC officers will be scheduled.

Officials Present at the Meeting

Department Principal Secretary Rajendra Kumar Kataria, Bengaluru Urban District Collector Jagadeesh, and several senior revenue department officials were present at the meeting.