Darjeeling, April 2: A fast-track court has been set up in Siliguri in an effort to clear the backlog of cases in the district.

The court was inaugurated on Monday. The Supreme Court had directed that fast-track courts be set up in every district across the country to improve the efficiency of the criminal courts and provide speedy justice.

Sources said the proposal to set up a fast-track court had been sent by the sessions court in Darjeeling. However, Calcutta High Court decided in favour of granting it to the Siliguri subdivisional court.

A senior official in the Darjeeling sessions court said the fast-track court was set up in Siliguri because of “various factors” like accommodation problem and also due to lesser number of criminal cases being handled by the Darjeeling court.

The Darjeeling Bar Association has maintained silence over Siliguri being granted permission for the court and added that they would “first discuss the matter” before meeting the media.

Fast-track courts have already been set up in other districts like Jalpaiguri, Nadia and Burdwan.

Darjeeling too has a “huge backlog” of civil cases pending due to the absence of a civil judge (Sr division) for the last six months, who also doubles as a district delegate and disposes of succession cases.

Durga Kharel, an advocate, had earlier said the Darjeeling Bar Association, during its meeting on February 28, had passed a resolution to make a representation to Calcutta High Court (Appellate side) soon to request a for a civil judge (senior division) in the Darjeeling court.

Court officials admitted that the post of subdivisional judicial magistrate had been lying vacant in the Kalimpong court for more than a month and also the Siliguri court did not have a judicial magistrate since the last pujas.

At a conservative estimate about 1,000 civil cases besides litigation on other matters are pending at the sessions court in Darjeeling due to the absence of the civil judge (senior division).

Harried litigants like Kakoli Chowdhury, who has been waiting for a succession certificate for more than seven months due to the absence of the civil judge, said: “Had the judge been there, my court work would have finished within a month. But now I am still waiting for it.”

A member of the Darjeeling Bar Association, who did not want to be named, said: “Even in Darjeeling, a large number of criminal cases are pending and it would be good if there was also a fast-track court there.”

The lawyer further added that the there would not have been any problem on the accommodation issue. “The consumer court could have been shifted to another location to make way for the fast-track court. A fast-track court is needed urgently to clear the backlog of cases,” he said.

“We will, however, have to wait for the meeting of our Bar Association so that the association can take its stand on the issue,” said the lawyer.