ISLAMABAD, April 29: Considerable progress has been noted in the utilisation of Rs1.98 billion set aside for 36 schemes under the Asian Development Bank’s $350 million Access to Justice Programme in the NWFP.

According to a press release issued here on Tuesday, 14 projects of Peshawar High Court under Access to Justice Programme worth Rs590 million have been completed.

One important component of these schemes is to improve infrastructure of judiciary. Construction of 40 court rooms and 81 residences for judges in various districts has already been completed.

The project also includes construction of over 150 litigant sheds, bakhshi khanas and lavatories in various districts of NWFP.

Construction of six judicial complexes and two bar rooms is also part of infrastructure improvement efforts being undertaken under the programme. Land for the judicial complexes in Hazara, Malakand, southern region and Haripur has been acquired at a cost of Rs64 million.

Work in eight ongoing schemes worth Rs980 million is speedily progressing in the province. Seventy more court rooms and over a hundred public facilities are under construction.

The construction work on residences for judges, official buildings and judicial complexes in Peshawar, Swabi, Bannu, Kohistan, Lakki Marwat and Hangu is also in progress with the expected expenditure of Rs490 million.

Special emphasis is being made on the capacity building of Peshawar High Court’s staff in management and financial matters, capacity building of member inspection team in the court and training of subordinate judiciary in summary trials and special laws.

It may be mentioned that Rs77 million have been allocated for the capacity building of courts of additional and sessions judges and Rs58 million for upgradation and improvement of civil courts in the province.

Under these schemes, 57 additional sessions judges, 50 civil judges and more than 1,242 subordinate staff have been recruited. These courts have also been provided with computers and other necessitates.

A programme support unit in Peshawar High Court is also being set up to monitor and coordinate the activities and proposals for the capacity building of district criminal coordination committees. It is also hoped that regional and provincial judicial conferences would be held in the current year to discuss the agenda for judicial reforms.

According to the work plan, initiatives are being undertaken that will improve the efficiency of the courts at the grassroots level. This includes automation of Peshawar High Court, revamping of website for the court and publication of relevant legal material and information literature aimed to increase information sharing and service delivery at the grassroots level.

Apart from judiciary, Access to Justice Programme in NWFP has identified projects for police, prisons, levies, law, home, prosecution departments and office of the provincial ombudsman.

Approximately, an amount of Rs100 million has been spent on the establishment of new offices, barracks and renovation of infrastructure in the departments. It is expected that Rs290 million will be spent in the next 12 months on the ongoing schemes.

It also includes schemes such as construction of 24 district investigation headquarters, provision of medico-legal wards, criminal records office, construction of district jail Hangu, lockups, guard-rooms, installation of close circuit cameras in prison department and other projects concerning improvement in access to justice and better services for the people.