The union law minister Veerappa Moily has said that as many as 5067 Gram Nyayalayas (village-level courts) would be set up in the country in the near future.

Moily was here to deliver a lecture on Ramayan at a religious function organised by a local trust.

Talking to PTI before leaving the city last night, Moily said that Gram Nyayalaya Act came into force on October 2, 2009, under which mobile courts, with the powers of judicial magistrate (first class) would be set up at Panchayat level.

He said that 144 Gram Nyayalayas have been set up so far in Madhya Pradesh (89), Rajasthan (45), Orissa (1) and Maharashtra (9).

Moily said, "The Central Government has decided to meet the non-recurring expenditure on the establishment of these Gram Nyayalayas subject to a ceiling of Rs 18 lakh."

Further, the Centre proposes to share the later, operational expenses with the state government -- estimated at Rs 6.4 lakh per annum -- for the first three years.