429 lok adalats take up 2,33,000 pending matters

Chandigarh, February 11

No less than 2,33,000 pending matters, including matrimonial and property disputes, cheque-bounce cases and labour matters, were taken up by 429 Lok Adalat Benches during the National Lok Adalat organised across the state.

Criminal compoundable cases, besides cancellation and untraced reports pertaining to various FIRs, were also taken up. Awards were passed with the consent of the parties. The adalat was held under the guidance of Justice Tejinder Singh Dhindsa –– Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court, and Executive Chairman of the Punjab State Legal Services Authority.

Justice Dhindsa and Legal Services Authority Member Secretary Arun Gupta also visited the judicial court complexes at Rajpura and Patiala before encouraging the litigants to settle their cases through the Lok Adalat. People were also made aware about the 24X7 toll-free helpline, 1968, for providing legal assistance to the needy, particularly the marginalised sections of society.

Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice and Patron-in-Chief of the Punjab State Legal Services Authority, Justice Ravi Shanker Jha, has already inaugurated offices of “Legal Aid Defense Counsel System”, which involves full-time engagement of lawyers to deal with legal aid work in criminal matters. In all, 35 counsel have been engaged under the system.

Member Secretary Gupta said the system increased availability, accessibility, effectiveness, efficiency and accountability of legal aid defense counsel as the lawyers selected could not carry out private practice.

The offices were inaugurated in seven district legal services authorities –– Bathinda, Fatehgarh Sahib, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Mansa, Sangrur and Mohali. Justice Dhindsa, Justice Arun Palli and Justice Sanjiv Berry of the High Court were present during the inauguration. Registrar-General Ramesh Chander Dimri and Additional Member Secretary Smriti Dhir were also present.