Centre releases first instalment of Rs 401.50 crore for court infrastructure scheme
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal on Wednesday virtually released the first instalment of the mother sanction worth Rs 401.50 crore for the financial year 2026-27 under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for Development of Infrastructure Facilities for District and Subordinate Courts.
The funds were issued through the PFMS system to States and Union Territories during a meeting held at Kartavya Bhawan-2 in New Delhi. The initiative is aimed at strengthening infrastructure in district and subordinate courts across the country and supporting State and UT governments in improving judicial facilities. Representatives of High Courts and State and UT governments attended the meeting through video conferencing.
Addressing the gathering, Meghwal highlighted the importance of adequate judicial infrastructure in achieving the vision of “ease of justice” and making the justice delivery system more accessible and citizen-centric. He informed that the current tenure of the scheme ended on March 31, 2026, and the process to extend it for another five years till 2030-31 is underway. The Ministry of Finance has already granted a temporary extension of the scheme till September 30, 2026.
The minister also said that a new component, “Waiting Hall for Litigants”, has been proposed under the scheme to improve facilities for citizens visiting courts. He further noted that a “Judicial Infrastructure Advisory Committee” was constituted by the Chief Justice of India on May 12, 2026, under the chairmanship of Justice Aravind Kumar of the Supreme Court to develop a unified judicial infrastructure ecosystem across the country.
During the meeting, Secretary, Department of Justice, highlighted the Centre’s efforts towards strengthening district and subordinate court infrastructure since 1993-94.
A presentation showcased the progress achieved under the scheme, under which Rs 12,844.72 crore has been released since inception, including Rs 9,400.41 crore, or over 73 per cent, during the last 12 years. Under the scheme, 6,345 court halls and 4,023 residential units have been constructed till March 31, 2026, while 3,161 court halls and 3,245 residential units are currently under construction.
Meghwal also released three Action Research Reports commissioned under the Department of Justice’s scheme for Action Research and Studies on Judicial Reforms. The scheme provides financial assistance of up to Rs 25 lakh for research related to justice delivery and legal reforms.
In addition, the minister released three e-books documenting customary laws of tribal communities from the North-East in collaboration with the Law Research Institute of the Gauhati High Court. The publications cover the customary legal practices of communities such as the Hrangkhol and Biate of Assam and the Hajong community of Assam and Meghalaya, aiming to preserve indigenous legal traditions and strengthen legal literacy.
