There are 6,36,605 cases pending in the country’s courts that involves the Union government as one of the parties, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal told the Lok Sabha on Friday.

Meghwal made the statement in response to a question by MP Dushyant Singh who sought the percentage of cases involving the Union government as a party, the expenditure incurred by the Centre in conducting these cases every year. He also sought to know the nature of these cases and the courts where they are pending, the ministries involved along with year-wise break-up.

The finance ministry is involved in most of the cases at 1,79,464 litigations, while the defence ministry is involved in 87,543 cases, the labour and employment ministry in 80,117 cases, the ministry of home affairs in 23,012 cases and the education ministry is a party in over 17,000 cases.

Meghwal said that the total expenditure on conducting these cases was Rs 54.35 crore in the year 2022-’23. In 2021-’22 the expenditure was Rs 48.37 crore, while in 2020-’21 it was Rs 58.01 crore. The total expenses on conducting the cases over the last five years was more than Rs 272 crore.

Singh had also asked the Centre the status on the National Litigation Policy. Meghwal said that the policy, which is yet to be finalised, is for preventing, controlling and reducing litigation and keeping in view the policy and plans of the government.