‘Low turnout of Permanent Lok Adalats a cause of concern’

Rachna Khaira

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Tribune News Service

Kapurthala, October 1

The recent summoning of the Punjab Health Minister Brahm Mahindra and Punjab Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on October 4 by the Permanent Lok Adalat (PLA) of Kapurthala in the dengue death cases has brought forth the constructive role of the PLAs set up in each district by the Punjab Legal Services Authority (PLSA).

Though the PLAs were introduced to the Indian judicial system through an amendment of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 in 2002, a few people are aware about its functioning and the matter of its jurisdiction.

The flow of litigants is not quite encouraging in a majority of the districts in Punjab. The Tribune brings to you a special report on the constitution and areas of concern being dealt by the PLAs.

Area of jurisdiction

A permanent lok adalat deals majorly with issues related to Public Utility Services pertaining to civic amenities, including sanitation, supply of water and electricity. Also, it deals with insurance services and postal and telephone services. The PLA also deals with all issues related to the common man on a daily basis. Some of the major issues are as follows:

n Transport services for the carriage of passengers or goods by air, road or water

n Postal, telegraph or telephone service

n Supply of power, light or water to the public by any establishment

n System of public conservancy or sanitation

n Service in hospital or dispensary

n Insurance services

n Banking services

n Finance services

n Immigration, LPG connection their supply and refill

n Aadhaar card, ration card, voter identity card and BPL card

n Old age and widow pension

n Shagun scheme and unemployment allowance

n Public distribution system services

n Education or educational institutions; or housing and real estate service

n Any other services included through a notification by the state government from time to time.

Benefits of thePermanent Lok Adalat

The best part of the PLA is that anyone can file it for free. There is no litigation cost or court fee. The award of the PLA is deemed to be the decree of the Civil Court. There is a speedy disposal of cases and the decisions are final. No appeal can be filed against the award of the PLA.

Organisational structure of the Permanent Lok Adalat

A person who is or has been a District Judge or Additional District Judge or has held a judicial office higher in rank than that of a District Judge shall be the Chairman. Two other persons having adequate experience in Public Utility Service to be nominated by the Central Government on the recommendations of the Central Authority and by the State Government on the recommendation of the State Authority can become its members.

Who all can seekjustice at PLA

A member of the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe

n A person whose annual income is not more than Rs 50,000 for cases before Supreme Court and Rs 25,000 in other courts

n A person victim of trafficking in human beings or beggar

n Disabled, including mentally disabled

n A woman or child

n A victim of mass disaster, ethnic violence, caste atrocities, flood, drought, earth quake, industrial disaster

n An industrial workman

n A person in custody, including protective custody

n A person facing charge which might result in his imprisonment

n A person unable to engage a lawyer and secure legal services on account of reasons such as poverty indigence.

Constitution of PLAsin Punjab

As per the Legal Services Authority Act, (Amendment Act), 2002, Permanent Lok Adalats (Public Utility Services) have been constituted at the district level. Pre-litigative cases relating to the Public Utility Services are decided in these lok adalats.

The Punjab Legal Services Authority has established 22 Permanent Lok Adalat (Public Utility Services) in districts of Amritsar, Bathinda, Barnala, Ferozpur, Faridkot, Fazilka, Fatehgarh Sahib, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Mansa, Moga, Patiala, Pathankot, Ropar, SAS Nagar (Mohali), Sangrur, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Sri Mukatsar Sahib and Tarn Taran Sahib.