India's first litigation controlled tribal Panchayat

Chief Justice of India, K G Balakrishnan declared Moonnilavu Grama Panchayat in Kottayam district as the first litigation controlled Tribal Panchayat in India.

Making the declaration, the Chief Justice said Indians, particularly Keralites, were not litigious. ‘The problem was that we did not have sufficient courts. The number of courts should be increased for the speedy settlement of cases,’ he said.

Moonnilavu attained the litigation controlled Panchayat status because of its cultural progress, he said. Some 20 years back Moonnilavu-Pala-Erattupetta region was considered as a centre for criminals. Church had played a major role for the cultural development of the people. The litigation controlled status was an index of the cultural progress, he said.

He called upon the people to avail the benefits of all social welfare programmes of the government, including Legal Services Authority.

Acting Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, Justice P R Raman presided over the meeting. High Court Judges, Justices C N Ramachandran Nair and A K Basheer, K M Mani MLA, P C George, MLA, MPs, Jose K Mani and Anto Antony, C S I Bishop Dr K J Samuel, District Collector Mini Antony, Judicial officers, presidents and members of local bodies attended the function.

In his welcome speech R Jyothindranathan, District and Sessions Judge and chairman of the District Legal Services Authority said that the programme had started on March 29, 2009.