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In a bid to free up thousands of crores of rupees locked up in litigation and arbitration, the government will come out with a discussion paper on a scheme detailing the percentage of amount which could be paid for expeditious resolution of contractual disputes, Finance Secretary T V Somanathan said. To begin with, the Department of Expenditure under the finance ministry will seek stakeholder suggestions on the quantum of percentage that could be offered for settling contractual disputes, besides other terms and conditions. The scheme would cover disputes relating to government contracts which are currently under arbitration or litigation. Under the scheme, which would be voluntary, contractors can come forward for resolution of disputes by accepting a specified percentage of the contract value. The percentage would be notified separately and will be 'reasonable and fair' so that many people take it, Somanathan told PTI. "...if they're willing to accept that percentage, it (dispute
Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Saturday said technology must be augmented with institutional reforms to resolve issues of access to justice, and it is essential to simplify the litigation process and make it "citizen centric". He also said the judiciary has been adopting technology to improve the working of courts and it is of "supreme importance" that courts are remodelled to reach out to citizens instead of them reaching out to courts in their quest for justice. Speaking at the Constitution Day celebrations at the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) said judges across the country must reflect upon the constitutional vision of securing justice, equality and liberty. He said it is important that representation of marginalised communities and women in the legal profession and judiciary is increased. Justice Chandrachud also spoke about the e-initiatives -- virtual justice clock, justIS mobile app 2.0, digital court and s3WaaS websites of district courts -- tha