Daijiworld Media Network - Guwahati

Guwahati, July 22: More than 5.75 lac cases are currently pending in courts across Assam, while 40 judicial officer posts remain vacant, State Law and Justice Minister Sushanta Borgohain informed the Assembly on Wednesday during the ongoing Monsoon Session.

Responding to a question from senior Congress MLA Jakir Hussain Sikdar, Borgohain said Assam has a sanctioned strength of 486 judicial officers, of which 446 posts have been filled, leaving 40 vacancies.

The minister assured the House that the recruitment process to fill the vacant positions is underway.

He also pointed out that several courts have not yet become operational due to inadequate infrastructure, affecting the functioning of the judicial system in certain parts of the state.

According to official figures presented in the Assembly, Assam had 5,75,541 pending cases as of May 31, 2026.

Of these, 1,14,296 are civil cases, while 4,61,245 relate to criminal matters.

The government also shared data on case disposal by subordinate courts over the past five years.

In 2021, the courts disposed of 35,536 civil cases and 1,46,810 criminal cases.

The numbers rose in 2022, with 45,184 civil cases and 2,26,175 criminal cases cleared.

During 2023, subordinate courts disposed of 45,555 civil cases and 3,27,728 criminal cases.

In 2024, the courts settled 50,483 civil cases and 2,33,399 criminal cases, while 2025 saw the disposal of 53,348 civil cases and 1,95,636 criminal cases.

Borgohain further informed the Assembly that Assam currently has 40 Fast Track Courts and six Special Courts in operation, although the state does not have any commercial courts.

Highlighting measures aimed at improving justice delivery, particularly in cases involving women and children, the minister said the government has introduced initiatives such as the 181 Women Helpline, Sakhi One Stop Centres, POCSO Courts, Child-Friendly Police Centres, the Shishu Mitra Helpline, and the e-Courts Project, which has now been implemented across all courts in Assam.

He also noted that Lok Adalats have played a significant role in reducing case pendency by disposing of 5,71,226 cases over the last five years.

The Assembly was further informed that, as of July 13, 2026, Assam had 7,904 undertrial prisoners, including 1,049 inmates who have remained in custody for prolonged periods while awaiting the completion of their trials.