Meerut, May 30 (KNN) In a significant stride towards digitising the judicial system, the District Courts of Meerut unveiled a state-of-the-art e-filing centre on Wednesday.

The inauguration ceremony was presided over by District Judge Rajat Singh Jain, who formally opened the facility housed within the heritage building located at the e-service centre premises.

The establishment of the e-filing centre comes in response to a recent directive from the Supreme Court of India.

On April 15th, the apex court instructed the Registrar General of the Allahabad High Court to enable e-filing capabilities across all district courts in Uttar Pradesh.

Additionally, the Supreme Court mandated that hybrid hearings before the High Court be facilitated within two weeks through virtual setups in the district courts of Western Uttar Pradesh, aligning with the Allahabad High Court Rules of 1952.

The introduction of e-filing aims to streamline the legal process by enabling the electronic submission of civil and criminal suits before High Courts and District Courts.

This initiative seeks to promote a paperless environment, thereby saving time and reducing costs through the adoption of technological solutions for case filings within the Indian judicial system.

A recent study, jointly released by the Meerut Citizens Forum (MCF) and the Federation of Indian Micro and Small & Medium Enterprises (FISME), suggested that the High Court should transition to digital operations, supported by adequate soft and hard infrastructure.

Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Laxmikant Vajpayee had also raised the issue with the Union Justice Minister and the Rajya Sabha.

In a letter dated November 30, 2022, Vajpayee advocated for the implementation of e-filing arrangements in every district, leveraging the virtual methods that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This would enable individuals to approach the High Court from their respective districts through their legal representatives, facilitating convenient case filings.

Expressing his commitment to the cause, Vajpayee emphasised the importance of equipping the Meerut e-filing centre with top-notch facilities.

He pledged to allocate the necessary funds from his Member of Parliament's fund to support this endeavour.

Additionally, he requested the District Magistrate to allocate land within the Collectorate-Court complex to expedite the establishment of the e-filing centre.

The inauguration ceremony witnessed the presence of esteemed legal professionals, including Commercial Court Judge Ved Prakash Verma, Additional District Judge Chandra Prakash Tiwari, Aparna Pandey, Brijesh Narayan Tripathi and others.

(KNN Bureau)