New Delhi, Apr 7 (PTI): Amid clamour for speeding up cases of crimes against women, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi along with other CMs batted for setting up fast track courts and sought central assistance, which was discontinued a few years ago.

Several chief ministers also said they had discontinued fast track courts (FTC), which had disposed of significant number of cases, after the central assistance was withdrawn two years back.

They were speaking at a conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices of High Courts inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and attended by Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir.

"I request the Union government to rethink the reestablishment of the system of FTCs and increase the financial allocation for the same," Modi said while seeking revivals of such courts.

He said Gujarat had initiated 166 FTCs which had disposed of nearly four lakh cases.

Observing that policies concerning the judicial system should be envisaged with a long-term perspective, Modi attacked the Centre for not waiting for the "fruits" of the FTC system to be "delivered".

"Such short term vision and frequent changes in policy create a lack of faith in the system," he said.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav in his speech read in absentia said after the Centre withdrew assistance for FTCs, the state government did not think it appropriate to re-establish them.

Yadav said while the state was willing to set up special courts to try cases related to murder, rape and issues related to children and the elderly, it had limited resources to support them.

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said 83 FTCs were functioning in his state with central assistance. Despite the Centre withdrawing funds for the scheme, 43 FTCs were run till November, 2012 to dispose of pending cases with expenses being borne by the state government.