The Supreme Court on Friday expressed strong disapproval of the Madhya Pradesh government’s habitual late filing of appeals, highlighting the significant delays that squander public resources. The bench, consisting of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, addressed the state’s pattern of appealing high court orders nearly 400 days late, and proposed measures to streamline decision-making and reduce unnecessary litigation.
During the session, the court suggested that the Madhya Pradesh government might consider hiring fresh law graduates to assist in deciding which cases to appeal to the Supreme Court. “Appointing fresh law graduates will help in taking decisions on which case the state needs to file an appeal. This will also help in creating employment,” the bench remarked, emphasizing the dual benefits of improving legal decision-making and providing job opportunities.
The state law secretary, N P Singh, was summoned to explain a specific incident where the state filed an appeal with a delay of 177 days against a high court ruling, which had already dismissed the state’s plea due to an initial delay of 656 days. Singh, who assumed his role in August 2024, admitted to the court his lack of familiarity with the correct procedures for filing appeals in the Supreme Court.
Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, representing the Madhya Pradesh government, informed the court that decisions to file appeals were typically made by district collectors. However, the justices were not satisfied with this delegation of responsibilities and directed the collector of the concerned district to appear before the court to explain the rationale behind the delayed filing and the procedures used.
Despite Raju’s suggestion to shift the focus from the collector to the state-level mechanisms, the bench maintained its order for the collector’s appearance but also requested a detailed explanation of the state’s overall mechanism for managing appeals.
“You have understood the intention of the court. When you go back to Bhopal, explain the order to all including the minister concerned. Filing unnecessary litigation is a waste of public money,” the bench stated, emphasizing the need for better governance and fiscal responsibility.
