Sections 20B-20C explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Section 20B has the State Government designate one or more Civil Courts as Special Courts for suits under the Act about infrastructure contracts. Section 20C says every suit under the Act shall be disposed of within twelve months from the date of service of summons on the defendant, extendable by not more than six months in aggregate, with reasons recorded in writing.
This article follows the consolidated text of the Act consulted (amendments shown up to Act 18 of 2018). Later amendments, and any notification under section 20B, should be checked before you rely on it.
Section 20B: the State Government, in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court, designates one or more Civil Courts as Special Courts by notification, to try suits under the Act in respect of contracts relating to infrastructure projects. Section 20C: a suit under the Act shall be disposed of within twelve months from the date of service of summons on the defendant; the court may extend by a further period not exceeding six months in aggregate, after recording reasons in writing.
Where these sections come from
Both sections sit inside the square bracket that begins at section 20 and ends after section 20C. The footnote to section 20 shows it was substituted by section 10 of Act 18 of 2018 (with effect from 1 October 2018) and the bracket runs on through sections 20A, 20B and 20C. So the text consulted shows 20B and 20C as part of the 2018 changes. Section 20A, on the bar on injunctions in infrastructure contracts, is in its own article.
If you have an infrastructure contract and are planning a suit, you can speak to our commercial suit filing team about where and how it would be brought.
Section 20B: Special Courts
"The State Government, in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court, shall designate, by notification published in the Official Gazette, one or more Civil Courts as Special Courts, within the local limits of the area to exercise jurisdiction and to try a suit under this Act in respect of contracts relating to infrastructure projects."
Take it piece by piece:
- Who designates: the State Government, not the Central Government.
- With whom: "in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court".
- How: "by notification published in the Official Gazette".
- What is designated: "one or more Civil Courts" as Special Courts.
- Where: "within the local limits of the area", so each Special Court has an area.
- For which suits: suits under this Act "in respect of contracts relating to infrastructure projects".
"Infrastructure project" has the meaning given in the Explanation to section 20A: the categories of projects and infrastructure sub-sectors specified in the Schedule. Our article on the Schedule to the Specific Relief Act sets out the items. The text consulted does not carry any notification naming a Special Court, so which courts have been designated in any State must be checked from the State's Gazette and the current Act. For how ordinary civil courts get their territorial and subject-matter reach, see our post on jurisdiction of civil courts: pecuniary, territorial and subject-matter. For another statute that creates specialised courts, see our post on the Commercial Courts Act, 2015, constitution of commercial courts.
Section 20C: disposal within twelve months
"Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908), a suit filed under the provisions of this Act shall be disposed of by the court within a period of twelve months from the date of service of summons to the defendant".
Note four points:
- Override: "Notwithstanding anything contained in" the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908. The section names no Order or rule of the Code.
- Which suits: "a suit filed under the provisions of this Act". Unlike section 20B, it is not limited to infrastructure contracts. It speaks of any suit under the Act.
- The period: twelve months.
- The starting point: "the date of service of summons to the defendant", not the date of filing.
The proviso: extension
"Provided that the said period may be extended for a further period not exceeding six months in aggregate after recording reasons in writing for such extension by the court."
The court may extend the period, but only by "a further period not exceeding six months in aggregate", and only "after recording reasons in writing". "In aggregate" means that all extensions put together cannot exceed six months. So the outer limit shown by the text is twelve months plus not more than six, that is eighteen months in all from service of summons, though the Act does not itself add the figures. The text consulted does not say what follows if the period is not met, and this article does not add anything.
An invented example: a contractor files a suit under the Act. Summons is served on the defendant on 1 March. The suit is to be disposed of within twelve months from that date. If the court extends the time, the extension in total cannot exceed six months, and the court must record its reasons in writing.
| Provision | Subject | Key words |
|---|---|---|
| 20B | Special Courts | State Government; consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court; notification in the Official Gazette; one or more Civil Courts; contracts relating to infrastructure projects |
| 20C | Disposal of suits | Twelve months from service of summons; extension not exceeding six months in aggregate; reasons in writing |
How section 20C compares with other time rules
Section 20C is a rule about how long a court should take to decide a suit. It is different from the period within which a plaintiff must file, which is a matter of the law of limitation. For a comparison with a case-management timetable under another Act, see our post on the Commercial Courts Act, 2015: case management hearing and trial timeline. For the limitation period for a specific performance suit, see our Limitation Act article on specific performance and compensation for breach of contract.
Practical points
Keep a record of the date of service of summons, because the twelve months run from it. Be ready with documents and witnesses so that a suit can move within the period. If you are a defendant, the date of service is also the date your side of the clock starts. For a suit on an infrastructure contract, check whether a Special Court has been designated for your area and keep in mind that section 20A bars an injunction that would impede or delay the project. Expert evidence under section 14A is part of the same procedural group.
Need help with a suit under the Act?
Timelines in court depend on early preparation: the plaint, the documents and the service of summons. You can ask our commercial suit filing team to look at your matter and plan the suit with the twelve-month rule in mind.
Key takeaways
- Section 20B has the State Government designate Civil Courts as Special Courts, in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court, by notification in the Official Gazette.
- Special Courts try suits under the Act in respect of contracts relating to infrastructure projects.
- Section 20C requires disposal within twelve months from the date of service of summons on the defendant.
- The period may be extended by a further period not exceeding six months in aggregate, after recording reasons in writing.
- The text consulted carries no notification naming any Special Court; check the current position.
Read next
- Section 20A of the Specific Relief Act, 1963: no injunction in infrastructure project contracts
- Section 21 of the Specific Relief Act, 1963: compensation in a suit for specific performance
- The Schedule to the Specific Relief Act, 1963: infrastructure projects and sub-sectors
Disclaimer: Based on a consolidated text of the Specific Relief Act, 1963 showing amendments up to the Specific Relief (Amendment) Act, 2018 (in force from 1 October 2018), as consulted on 2 October 2026. Later amendments, notifications under the Act and the law of limitation should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.