New Delhi : After the BJP-led NDA was handed down a humiliating defeat in Bihar assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expanded his government’s slogan of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’’ to include “Sabka Nyay.’’ With that, the phrase “Justice for All’’ has been appended to his oft-repeated “development’’ slogan. Getting back to matters of governance after his hectic poll campaign, Modi presided over a review meeting at the PMO to take stock of various infrastructure projects thro-ugh video-conferencing.
Modi was also apprised of the progress in meeting the Union Government’s goal of providing electricity to all unconnected villages in the country within 1000 days. In the telecom sector, the Prime Minister was briefed about the progress in connecting all villages through broadband by 2022. He reviewed the progress in sectors like renewable energy, piped natural gas, irrigation, roads and transport. Modi was informed that all infrastructure targets for the current financial year, across various sectors, are broadly on track. NITI Ayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya was also present at the meeting. Earlier in the day, Modi spoke at an event to mark the Legal Services Day and pointed out that legal aid mechanisms such as Lok Adalats highlight compassion for the poor, and commitment to the cause of justice.
He said that Lok Adalats have become a means for people to access justice that is timely and satisfactory and suggested that rendering free legal aid to poor could become a criterion in selection of judges. The Prime Minister’s observation assumes significance as the Supreme Court, after rejecting the NDA government’s National Judicial Appointments Commission, has invited suggestions from public on improving the present collegium system of appointment of judges to the higher judiciary. Senior Supreme Court judge Justice T. S. Thakur, who would be the next Chief Justice of India and take over next month from H L Dattu, said the already over-burdened judiciary has been aided by the mechanism of Lok Adalats, which have decided 8.25 crore pre-litigation and pending cases. Justice Thakur pointed out that the state remains the biggest litigant in the judicial system as 80 per cent of the litigation is against the state.
