Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on 22 July 2026 announced the formal notification of six Exclusive Special Courts across the state to fast-track trials under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, targeting years of case pendency that he said had denied justice to the most vulnerable communities.

Context

Posting in Odia on X, CM Majhi invoked the BJP's twin governance philosophies — 'Antyodaya' (upliftment of the last person in the queue) and 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas' (together with all, development for all, trust of all, effort of all) — to frame the move as a moral, not merely administrative, commitment. He declared that delivering 'appropriate social justice' to tribal, Dalit, and exploited communities is 'the core ethical promise of our government,' not simply a policy decision.

The six courts will be located in Bhadrak, Ganjam, Jajapur, Kendrapara, Puri, and Khordha — districts spread across coastal and southern Odisha. An official notification has already been published, making the announcement a formal legal step rather than a policy proposal.

Policy Backdrop

The SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 — amended in 2015 and again in 2018 — mandates the establishment of special courts for the expeditious disposal of atrocity cases and strengthens victim rights. Despite the law's provisions, critics and legal observers have long noted that designated courts across several states, including Odisha, struggled with large dockets and delays stretching across multiple years.

Odisha's previous Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government, which held power for 24 consecutive years before the 2024 assembly elections, operated designated courts for such cases but faced persistent criticism over pendency. CM Majhi, whose BJP-led administration took charge in June 2024, has framed the new 'exclusive' courts as a structural break from that era — institutions dedicated solely to SC/ST atrocity cases rather than courts handling a mixed docket.

The Chief Minister stated that 'thousands of cases pending for years due to laxity in legal processes during previous regimes' had left innocent victims without recourse, and that his government was 'committed to ending that neglect.'

Stakeholders and Impact

Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities in the six identified districts stand to be the most direct beneficiaries. These groups — constitutionally protected but historically vulnerable to atrocities and slow legal redressal — will now have access to courts whose sole mandate is their cases, which legal experts say can significantly reduce trial timelines.

The 'double engine government' framing used by Majhi signals that the state intends to leverage alignment between the BJP government in Bhubaneswar and the Union government in New Delhi to push through judicial infrastructure and resource allocation. The announcement also carries political weight: it positions the BJP as the credible custodian of Dalit and Adivasi rights in a state where those communities form a substantial share of the electorate.

Atrocity victims with cases already in the legal system in the six districts could see their hearings expedited once the courts are operationalised. The government has pledged 'dignified justice in the shortest possible time.'

What's Next

The immediate question is the operationalisation timeline — when the courts will begin hearing cases, how judges and support staff will be appointed, and what case-transfer protocols will apply to existing pending matters. CM Majhi has signalled a 'zero tolerance' policy on crime and exploitation, suggesting the government may announce complementary measures such as victim compensation mechanisms or expansion to additional districts. Monthly case-disposal data from these courts, once functional, will be the clearest measure of whether the institutional promise translates into on-the-ground impact for Odisha's most marginalised citizens.