JODHPUR, May 15 -- Expressing concern over the non-functioning of 16 permanent Lok Adalats in Rajasthan, the Rajasthan high court on Tuesday took suo motu cognizance of the issue and sought a response from the chief secretary, additional chief secretary (finance), secretary (personnel), principal secretary (law & legal affairs), and the member secretary of the Rajasthan state legal services authority by May 15. A two-judge division bench observed that the matter raised a serious issue about access to justice, as reflected in a news report highlighting the pending status of nearly 992 cases in Jodhpur alone-suggesting that the total backlog could be as high as 10,000 cases statewide. To underscore the importance of judicial oversight in matters of policy, the court quoted the Supreme Court's ruling, observing: "It is an established requirement of good governance that the Government should frame policies which are fair and beneficial to the public at large." The court emphasised that the right to demand speedy justice cannot be undermined by administrative decisions....