Over 12,200 cases settled in Gurdaspur

A National Lok Adalat was on Saturday organised in the Gurdaspur judicial complex here in which a total of 12,541 cases were taken up, out of which 12,218 were decided on the spot and an amount of Rs 12.82 crore was awarded.

The event was held on the directions of Ashwani Kumar Mishra, Executive Chairman of the Punjab State Legal Services Authority, SAS Nagar, and under the guidance of Dilbagh Singh Johal, District and Sessions Judge-cum-Chairperson of the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), and Harpreet Singh, Secretary of the DLSA.

Various types of cases, including those pertaining to bank recoveries, matrimonial disputes, labour disputes, land acquisition cases, electricity and water bill cases, service matters relating to pay allowance, revenue cases and retrial benefits were taken up.

The National Lok Adalat is a nationwide ‘people’s court’ mechanism, which was established by the District Legal Services Authorities in 1987. It basically provides an alternative to conventional courts for the amicable resolution of disputes outside the jurisdiction of formal courts proceedings. These Lok Adalats are organised by the National Legal Services Authority.

Lawyers say these forums offer a faster, cheaper and accessible path to justice for cases pending in courts or those which are at a pre-litigation stage. The decisions of these lok adalats are final and binding and have the status of a civil court order. The main aim is to provide prompt, accessible and affordable justice, reducing the backlog and pressure on traditional courts.