Panaji, Mar 6 (IANS): Union Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju on Monday said that pendency of cases in the country are increasing by the day and hence his ministry aims to make the judiciary completely paperless.

He was speaking during the 23rd Commonwealth Law Conference here.

"We want a reduction in the pendency of cases. More than 49 million cases are pending in various courts of India. It is not easy to reduce the pendency of cases simply because fresh cases are double than those disposed of. Indian judges are working extraordinarily hard but it is becoming more challenging with each passing day," Rijiju said.

"In normal circumstances an average judge handles 50 to 60 cases a day. In the last few years, some of the judges have disposed of more than 200 cases a day. This is extraordinary but the pendency of cases are rising unabatedly. We are using technology for that we have started e-courts special project phase 3 with the aim to digitise the justice delivery mechanism. Our ultimate target is to make the Indian judiciary completely paperless. There is no alternative to face the challenges of rising pendency cases," he said.

"Justice to the people is the core of all provisions of fundamental rights and fundamental duties. To provide justice to 1.4 billion people is a huge challenge for us. We may talk about various other things but if the most deserving common person, common citizens don't get basic needs, justice remains only a word," the minister said.

He said that the government has tried from day one to ensure that all the schemes reach every person of the nation.

Every person today is beneficiary of every step taken by the central government, he said.

Minister Rijiju said that the government has already repealed 1486 redundant laws and another 65 bills/provisions are proposed to be repealed in the current Budget session of Parliament.