New Delhi: The Union government has intensified its push to improve access to justice in Odisha, combining brick-and-mortar court expansion with a wider digital and legal aid footprint, according to a statement tabled in the Rajya Sabha by the Ministry of Law and Justice.
Under the centrally sponsored scheme for judicial infrastructure, the state received ₹136.33 crore over the past five years, taking its capacity to 913 court halls, with 156 more under construction as of December 31, 2025.
The digital layer is being scaled in parallel. Odisha now hosts 184 eSewa Kendras that assist litigants with e-filing and e-payments, while 220 court complexes have been equipped with ICT hardware and video-conferencing; all district courts have VC facilities.
The Centre has also set up 44 Fast Track Special Courts in the state to expedite cases relating to crimes against women and children.
On the legal aid front, the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) framework continues to anchor last-mile delivery, with 132 Village Legal Care and Support Centres operating across Odisha. These centres saw 8,029 visits in 2024 and 7,638 in 2025, providing assistance to 4,593 and 5,644 people respectively, underscoring steady utilisation.
Alternative dispute resolution remains a parallel thrust. Four National Lok Adalats were organised in 2025, alongside a district-level Lok Adalat focused on cheque-bounce cases, and 22 Permanent Lok Adalats are currently functional to handle public utility disputes.
The state has also rolled out the Legal Aid Defence Council System in 30 districts to strengthen public defence in criminal matters.
To broaden pre-litigation access, the Department of Justice is expanding Tele-Law and the Nyaya Bandhu pro bono programme under the DISHA scheme, connecting citizens to lawyers via a mobile app and a toll-free number, with 29 Nyaya Sahayaks active in aspirational blocks to drive community outreach.
The update was shared by MoS (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.