Government Aims to Digitise 3,100 Crore Documents Ahead of Launch of Phase-3 of E-Courts Project

The government plans to digitise over 3,100 crore documents as part of the phase-III of the e-Courts project which is likely to be formally launched soon, sources said on Tuesday.

On the table is also a plan to set up solar power facilities for ensuring seamless availability of information communication (ICT) infrastructure at a cost of Rs. 229.50 crore. A total of 1,530 solar facilities would be installed as part of the project.

The Department of Justice in the Union Law Ministry is coordinating the implementation of phase-III of the ambitious project.

The sources said 3,108 crore documents, including legacy records and pending cases, would be digitised at a cost of Rs. 2038.40 crore in phase-III.

The centrally-sponsored scheme with a timeline of four years was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her latest Budget speech. The financial outlay has been pegged at Rs. 7,210 crore.

The phase-III of the e-Courts project envisions a judicial system that is more accessible, efficient and equitable for every individual who seeks justice, or is part of the delivery of justice, according to details available in the public domain.

It envisions an infrastructure for the judicial system that is natively digital.

Phase-III will enable any litigant or lawyer to file a case from anywhere and at any time without having to go to multiple windows in the premises of any specific court.

It also intends to create a technology-driven system in which administrative processes such as collection of different kinds of fees and applications are simplified.