National Lok Adalat at HC settles 303 cases, awards Rs 13.36 crore

As many as 303 cases, largely relating to motor accident claims, were settled at the National Lok Adalat held at the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Saturday resulting in an award of Rs 13,36,85,000 to the litigants.

The Adalat was organised as part of the nationwide initiative of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) in coordination with the High Court Legal Services Committee. A total of 542 cases were taken up for consideration before four Lok Adalat Benches constituted at the High Court.

The Adalat was conducted under the overall supervision of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu – also the Patron-in-Chief of the High Court Legal Services Committee – and Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal, Chairman of the High Court Legal Services Committee.

Four Lok Adalat Benches were constituted to take up matters found suitable for settlement through mutual consent. The Benches were headed by Justice Sandeep Moudgil, Justice Sudeepti Sharma, Justice Deepinder Singh Nalwa and Justice Ramesh Kumari. The focus remained on facilitating amicable resolution of disputes between the parties without recourse to prolonged litigation.

Most of the matters settled during the Lok Adalat pertained to motor accident claim cases, reflecting the effectiveness of the forum in providing timely compensation to victims and their families through consensual resolution.

The National Lok Adalat is a recurring initiative of NALSA aimed at reducing pendency of cases by encouraging alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. It provides litigants an accessible, cost-effective and expeditious platform to resolve disputes through settlement.

Expressing satisfaction over the outcome, the High Court Legal Services Committee placed on record its appreciation for the cooperation extended by the Judges, members of the Bar, litigants and court staff in ensuring the smooth conduct of the Lok Adalat. The High Court Legal Services Committee Secretary, Swati Sehgal, indicated that more cases would be identified in future Lok Adalats to further enhance settlement through this mechanism.