Question

The main purpose of setting up Nyaya Panchayat is ______________.
(A) To provide justice to all
(B) To discourage people going to courts
(C) To settle the disputes of the villagers in a speedy manner and at a lesser cost
(D) To provide free legal assistance

Answer 1

Hint: The Nyaya Panchayats have jurisdiction between five and seven Panchayat circles according to the local situation. The officer in charge responsible for demarcating the jurisdiction is generally the collector. He is assisted by Tehsildars, Vikas Adhikaris and Naib Tehsildars in discharging his duties. Within the jurisdiction of Nyaya Panchayat, each Panchayat elects a member for the latter.

Complete answer:
The main purpose of setting up the Nyaya Panchayats is to settle the disputes of the villagers in a speedy manner and at a lesser cost. The Nyaya Panchayats possess criminal and civil jurisdiction. Their criminal jurisdiction extends to offences under the Indian Penal Code viz., life and property, or cause public inconvenience such as fouling of water meant for public use, possession or use of false weights or measures, rash driving on public ways, negligence or deliberate doing of acts which endanger public health, misappropriation, where the value involved, is not more than Rs. 25, criminal intimidation, insult; uttering words or making gestures intended to insult the modesty of a woman.
Besides this, the Nyaya Panchayats are empowered to deal with offences under the Primary Education Act, Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency Act, Cattle Trespass Act, Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and offences, Public Gambling Act, under other Acts as may be declared by the State Government to be taken by the Panchayats.
The trial of cases dealing with offences against public servants is also included in the criminal jurisdiction of the Nyaya Panchayats. The Nyaya Panchayats can impose penalty between Rs. 25 and Rs. 100 provided by the statute upon the persons convicted for deliberately insulting or obstructing a public servant.
The civil jurisdiction of the Nyaya Panchayats extends to breach of contracts not affecting immovable property, suits for damages, suits for compensation for wrongfully injuring or taking movable property and suits for specific movable property the value of which does not exceed the limit provided by the statute. Such value generally ranges between Rs. 100 and 500.

Thus, option (C) is correct.

Note: Nyaya Panchayats may cause appropriate documents to be produced and require the presence of a particular person for evidence, issue summon and if directed by a magistrate, it may also conduct local enquiry and make a report to do so regarding an offence committed within its own circle.