Law Ministry gets fat IT budget allocation and a new Secretary

The Ministry of Law and Justice is on a drive to reduce the 3 crore cases that are pending in courts across India through the aggressive use of information technology (IT). The Ministry has budgeted for an expenditure of Rs. 890 crores ($191 million) for capacity building and connecting all the courts using information and communication technology solutions..In a separate development, V.K. Bhasin was on Tuesday appointed as Secretary, Legislative Department, in the Ministry of Law and Justice..The Ministry of Law and Justice is on a drive to reduce the 3 crore cases that are pending in courts across India, a problem that hit the headlines three months ago, raising grave concerns within the government and the judiciary..The Ministry is now proposing to tackle the backlog through the aggressive use of information technology (IT). The Ministry has budgeted for an expenditure of Rs. 890 crores ($191 million) for capacity building and connecting all the courts using information and communication technology solutions..The Cabinet has already approved an investment of Rs. 442 crores ($95 million). The Ministry of Law and Justice has a budget allowance of Rs. 1678 crores ($361 million) for the year 2009-10, which is an increase of more than 100 percent from last year’s allocation of Rs. 751 crores ($161 million)..In a separate development, V.K. Bhasin was on Tuesday appointed as Secretary, Legislative Department, in the Ministry of Law and Justice..The President appointed V.K. Bhasin, a permanent officer of the Indian Legal Service, as Secretary, Legislative Department, with effect from 20th October, 2009. Bhasin had earlier been working as an Additional Secretary in the Legislative Department of the Ministry of Law and Justice. The post of Secretary, Legislative Affairs has been lying vacant for the last few years, and the Law Secretary, T.K. Viswanathan was in charge of both the legislative and legal wings of the Ministry..The Ministry will have to appoint a new Law Secretary at the end of the month as the term of the present incumbent T.K. Viswanathan comes to an end. It is rumored that Secretary DR Meena will be appointed as the new Law Secretary.