Justice Dalveer Bhandari, however, said the situation in the Supreme Court was not the same and is within manageable limit.

"The Supreme Court is still manageable but as far as high courts and subordinates courts are concerned, situation is very very alarming...I think drastic steps needs to be taken," he said at 'All India Conference of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT)' here.

Justice Bhandari said as on March 31 this year over 2.74 crore cases are pending in the subordinate courts and over 42.92 lakh cases are pending in the high courts and till October 31, as many as 56,383 cases are pending in the Supreme Court.

He said administrative tribunals can be a viable alternative to the high courts.

"The Law Commission has observed that in respect of grave concern with increasing pendency of litigations before the high courts, the theory of alternative institutional mechanism has also been propounded to defend the establishment of administrative tribunals...These tribunals are expected to function as viable substitutes for the high courts," he said.

Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Water Resources Pawan Kumar Bansal, who also attended the function, too advocated for alternative institutions to help in reducing the pendency of court cases.

"We can not burden the Supreme Court and high courts with so many cases...we have to think seriously about the efficacy of alternative institutions and this (CAT) is a perfect and wonderful alternative," he said.

Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Prime Minister's office V Narayanasamy, former CJI J S Verma and CAT Chairman Justice V K Bali also attended the conference.