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The short answer
A Gram Nyayalaya in Odisha is a village-level court under the Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008, run by a Nyayadhikari qualified to be a first-class Magistrate. It hears minor criminal cases (generally offences punishable up to two years), maintenance and domestic violence matters, wage claims and simple rural civil disputes. As on 17 February 2026, 24 were operating in Odisha. The court fee for a civil case cannot exceed Rs 100, and appeals go to the Sessions Court or District Court within 30 days.
Gram Nyayalaya in Odisha: what it is
A Gram Nyayalaya in Odisha is a village-level court set up under the Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008, which came into force on 2 October 2009. The idea is to take simple civil and criminal cases closer to rural people, with a cheaper and quicker procedure. Odisha was among the first States to set them up. Each Gram Nyayalaya is presided over by a Nyayadhikari, a judicial officer appointed by the State Government after consulting the Orissa High Court and qualified to be a Judicial Magistrate of the First Class. In Odisha the court is styled "Gram Nyayalaya-cum-JMFC" in High Court notifications.
The Act allows the State to set up a Gram Nyayalaya for each intermediate-level Panchayat (in Odisha, the block-level Panchayat Samiti) or a group of contiguous Panchayats. The Nyayadhikari also has to visit villages periodically and can hold court near where the parties live; this is the "mobile court" feature of Section 9.
Gram Nyayalaya list for Odisha
According to the Union Ministry of Law and Justice's reply in the Lok Sabha (Unstarred Question No. 1131, answered on 24 July 2026), 24 Gram Nyayalayas were operational in Odisha as on 17 February 2026:
| No. | Gram Nyayalaya | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Odagaon | Nayagarh |
| 2 | Bhograi | Balasore |
| 3 | Dunguripali | Subarnapur |
| 4 | Kashinagar | Gajapati |
| 5 | Raghunathpur | Jagatsinghpur |
| 6 | Sukinda | Jajpur |
| 7 | Dhamnagar | Bhadrak |
| 8 | Sanakhemundi | Ganjam |
| 9 | Junagarh | Kalahandi |
| 10 | Ghasipura | Kendujhar |
| 11 | Similiguda | Koraput |
| 12 | Kolnara | Rayagada |
| 13 | Lakhanpur | Jharsuguda |
| 14 | Atabira | Bargarh |
| 15 | Tangi | Khordha |
| 16 | Komna | Nuapada |
| 17 | Raighar | Nabarangpur |
| 18 | Brahmagiri | Puri |
| 19 | Korukunda (at Malkangiri) | Malkangiri |
| 20 | Puri Sadar | Puri |
| 21 | Rajnagar | Kendrapara |
| 22 | Bolangir Sadar | Bolangir |
| 23 | Bisra | Sundargarh |
| 24 | Charichhak | Boudh |
The list changes as new courts are notified and buildings are completed. For example, the Tangi Gram Nyayalaya in the Khordha judgeship moved from the civil court premises at Khurda to its own building at Tangi in September 2023. In November 2024 the State's Law Minister said the Government planned Gram Nyayalayas in all blocks, beginning with permission for six more. Check the district court's page on the eCourts website or ask the district court for the current position in your area.
Gram Nyayalaya jurisdiction: what cases it hears
A Gram Nyayalaya has both criminal and civil jurisdiction, defined by the two Schedules to the Act.
Criminal cases (First Schedule):
- offences not punishable with death, life imprisonment or imprisonment of more than two years;
- theft, receiving stolen property, and helping to hide or dispose of stolen property, where the value does not exceed Rs 20,000;
- certain house-trespass offences, insult to provoke a breach of the peace, and criminal intimidation punishable up to two years;
- abetment of and attempts to commit these offences;
- matters under some Central Acts: the Cattle-trespass Act, Payment of Wages Act, Minimum Wages Act, Protection of Civil Rights Act, Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act and Equal Remuneration Act; maintenance of wives, children and parents; and the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.
The Schedule was written with reference to the Indian Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure. Since 1 July 2024 those have been replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (maintenance is now Section 144 BNSS). Check with the court how a particular offence is being treated.
Civil cases (Second Schedule):
- right to purchase property, use of common pasture, and the regulation and timing of taking water from an irrigation channel;
- possession of village and farm houses, water channels, and the right to draw water from a well or tube well;
- claims under the Payment of Wages Act and Minimum Wages Act;
- money suits arising from trade transactions or money lending;
- disputes arising out of partnership in cultivation of land; and
- disputes about the use of forest produce by inhabitants of Gram Panchayats.
The money limit for civil cases is fixed by the High Court after consulting the State Government, so check the current limit with the court.
How a case runs in a Gram Nyayalaya
- Simple filing: a civil case starts with an application, and the court fee cannot exceed Rs 100 (Section 24).
- Conciliation first: in civil and many criminal matters, the court must first try to bring about a settlement. It can adjourn the case and refer it to conciliators, local social workers on a panel prepared with the District Court (Sections 26 and 27).
- Time limits: civil applications are to be decided within six months of filing; judgment is pronounced within 15 days of the end of the hearing, and copies are given free within three days.
- Summary trial and plea bargaining in criminal cases (Sections 19 and 20).
- Flexible evidence: the court is not bound by the strict rules of evidence and can receive any material that helps resolve the dispute; formal evidence may be given by affidavit (Section 30).
- Appearing in person is common and the procedure is designed for it (see party in person).
Appeals from a Gram Nyayalaya
- Criminal: an appeal lies to the Court of Session within 30 days, and is to be decided within six months. No appeal lies where the accused pleaded guilty, or where only a fine of up to Rs 1,000 was imposed (Section 33).
- Civil: an appeal lies to the District Court within 30 days, but not against interlocutory orders. No appeal lies from a decree passed with the consent of the parties, where the amount is up to Rs 1,000, or, unless a question of law is involved, where it is up to Rs 5,000 (Section 34).
- The appellate court's decision is final, subject to the constitutional remedies under Articles 32 and 226, which in Odisha means a writ petition in the Orissa High Court.
Practical points
- Backlogs: the courts were meant to be quick, but a February 2024 report put pending cases in Odisha's village courts at 45,874, most of them criminal.
- Other courts: the regular civil and criminal courts in the district still function, and some disputes are filed there. Where you are unsure which court to approach, ask the district court's help desk or the District Legal Services Authority.
- Related routes: for land records, the forum is usually a revenue court (see revenue courts in Odisha); for settlement, a Lok Adalat or mediation; for free advice and an advocate, free legal aid.
Court addresses are listed under courts. General information on civil cases is under civil litigation.
Odia terms used in this guide
| Odia | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ଗ୍ରାମ ନ୍ୟାୟାଳୟ | grama nyayalaya | village court |
Frequently asked questions
How many Gram Nyayalayas are there in Odisha?
According to the Union Law Ministry's reply in the Lok Sabha on 24 July 2026, 24 Gram Nyayalayas were operational in Odisha as on 17 February 2026, including Tangi (Khordha), Brahmagiri and Puri Sadar (Puri), Raghunathpur (Jagatsinghpur) and Bhograi (Balasore).
What is the jurisdiction of a Gram Nyayalaya?
Criminal cases punishable with imprisonment up to two years, theft and related offences up to Rs 20,000, maintenance, domestic violence and some labour law matters; and civil disputes such as water rights, pasture, village house possession, wage claims and money suits from trade or money lending, within the limit set by the High Court.
Can a Gram Nyayalaya hear a maintenance case?
Yes. Maintenance of wives, children and parents (now Section 144 BNSS, earlier Section 125 CrPC) and cases under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 are listed in the First Schedule to the Act.
What is the court fee in a Gram Nyayalaya?
Under Section 24 of the Gram Nyayalayas Act, a civil case is started by an application and the court fee cannot exceed Rs 100.
Where does an appeal from a Gram Nyayalaya go?
Criminal appeals go to the Court of Session and civil appeals to the District Court, in both cases within 30 days. No appeal lies in some small matters, such as a fine of up to Rs 1,000 or a civil claim of up to Rs 1,000.
Does a Gram Nyayalaya try to settle cases?
Yes. The Act requires the court to try conciliation first and lets it refer parties to conciliators drawn from a panel of local social workers.
Official sources
- Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008 (India Code)
- Ministry of Law and Justice: Lok Sabha USQ 1131 (24.07.2026), Annexure on Odisha (PIB)
- Orissa High Court notification on Gram Nyayalaya-cum-JMFC, Tangi (22.08.2023)
- Orissa High Court (official website)
- eCourts services: district courts of Odisha
General information, not legal advice. Every matter turns on its own facts and documents, and the law and official procedures change. Check the current position with the concerned office, or take advice on your own facts, before acting.