National Lok Adalat at SBS Nagar on Dec 13

In preparation for the National Lok Adalat scheduled to be held on December 13 at Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar, District and Sessions Judge-cum-Chairperson of the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Priya Sood, convened a comprehensive meeting today with officials from various government departments, insurance companies, banks and financial institutions. The meeting, held in accordance with directions issued by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and guidelines from the Punjab State Legal Services Authority, SAS Nagar, also saw the participation of Chief Judicial Magistrate-cum-Secretary DLSA, Dr Amandeep.

During the meeting, Sood emphasised that the National Lok Adalat aims to provide citizens with quick, amicable and cost-effective settlement of disputes, helping litigants avoid lengthy and expensive court processes. She explained that both pending court cases and pre-litigation matters that were suitable for compromise would be taken up during the Lok Adalat. These include BSNL-related disputes, insurance claims, finance and loan recovery cases, bank loan matters, traffic challans, water and electricity bill disputes, compoundable criminal cases, cheque bounce matters under Section 138 of the NI Act, Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) cases, matrimonial disputes, labour-related matters and several other categories of cases that are fit for mutual settlement.

Sood urged officials to identify and forward maximum number of settlement-friendly cases to ensure that litigants receive timely and harmonious resolutions. She said any individual facing difficulty in getting their case listed for the Lok Adalat may approach the office of the District Legal Services Authority for assistance. She also stressed on the importance of creating widespread public awareness so that more people could benefit from the opportunity offered by the National Lok Adalat.

Officials present at the meeting assured full cooperation and expressed commitment towards encouraging litigants to opt for mutually beneficial settlements.

The upcoming Lok Adalat is expected to deliver substantial relief to the public by reducing the burden of pending litigation in the district and ensuring swift, people-friendly justice.