Policy puts in place 3-tier system to cut litigation

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 30

Calling for the review of cases and withdrawing those identified as “frivolous and vexatious”, the newly framed Haryana State Litigation Policy has mooted the setting up of three-tier empowered committees to reduce government litigation.

The policy would be implemented through a three-tier system — the State Level Empowered Committee (SLEC), Department Level Empowered Committee (DLEC) and District Level Empowered Committee (DLEC) — which would recommend measures to the state government to minimise litigation.

“The purpose underlying the policy is to reduce government litigation so that valuable court time would be spent in resolving other pending cases,” the policy document said.

To prevent and control avoidable litigation, a grievance redressal system would be put in place at the district and department levels to look into grievances of employees and this “would pre-empt a lot of unnecessary litigation”.

“Every government employee will first approach the competent authority (appropriate district- or department-level empowerment committee) under the policy for the redressal of his or her grievances before moving court,” the policy said.

Besides, every department must strive to set up an online grievance redressal system, maintain and update record and data, and print such record to maintain transparency for the benefit of employees.

Besides, “as soon as legal notice is served on any department asking for a relief, the same should be decided expeditiously in accordance with the relevant rules and instructions and passing a detailed speaking order”. The nodal officer will ensure that such legal notices or representations are dealt with quickly, appropriate decision taken and conveyed to the party within time.

The policy said there would be an obligation on the department/district-level empowerment committee to decide the representation or legal notice served on behalf of an aggrieved employee in a time-bound manner by passing a speaking order. “An appeal shall lie with the SLEC against the decision of the department/district level empowerment committee.”

Apart from this, the “office of the Advocate General will be responsible for reviewing all pending cases and filtering frivolous and vexatious matters from the meritorious ones”.

The department- and district-level empowerment committees would review all pending cases to settle them before lok adalats or special camps in consultation with the legal aid cell of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The SLEC would look into ways and means for maximising case/dispute disposal through fast-track courts, gram nyalayas, evening courts and family courts, the policy document added.