J&K Legal Services Authority today organized 4th National Lok Adalat of the calendar year 2023 throughout the UT of J&K as per the mandate of NALSA under the patronage of Justice N. Kotiswar Singh, Chief Justice, High Court of J&K and Ladakh (Patron-in-Chief, J&K Legal Services Authority) and dynamic leadership of Justice Tashi Rabstan, Judge, High Court of J&K and Ladakh (Executive Chairman, J&K Legal Services Authority) and also under the able guidance of Justice Sindhu Sharma, Chairperson, High Court Legal Services Committee.
Justice Tashi Rabstan, Administrative Judge for district Jammu inaugurated the 4th National Lok Adalat here this morning. On his arrival, Justice Tashi was accorded warm floral welcome by Sanjay Parihar, Pr. District & Sessions Judge, Jammu, V. S Bhau, 1st Addl. District & Sessions Judge, Jammu, Amit Kumar Gupta, Member Secretary, J&K Legal Services Authority, Prem Sagar, Secretary, High Court Legal Services Committee, Anjum Ara, CJM Jammu, Parvin Pandoh, Joint Registrar Judicial, Jammu and Smriti Sharma, Secretary, DLSA Jammu.
After formal inauguration of the National Lok Adalat, Justice Tashi delivered cheques of the awarded compensation to the beneficiaries under Motor Accident Claims settled amicably. Subsequently, Justice Tashi visited various Lok Adalat benches and also witnessed the ongoing settlement Proceedings especially in bank recovery cases.
While interacting with the Advocates, representative of the banks, insurance companies and litigant public, Justice Tashi said that flocking of the litigants and other stakeholders in large number in different courts across the UT of J&K during the Lok Adalat today shows their confidence in the alternate dispute resolution mechanism and also appreciated the cooperation extended by everyone in settling prelitigation matters and those pending before different court and forums.
Justice Tashi also supervised the settlements going on between the litigating parties before the Family Court at Jammu and also intervened to successfully settle two matrimonial disputes by counselling the parties who were present with their family members.
In order to boost amicable settlements amongst the parties in cases like MACT, Matrimonial disputes, cheque bounce cases under NI Act, Money recovery, etc., Pre-lokadalat sittings and pre-counselling sessions were organized well before the date of National Lok Adalat so that the parties may get ample opportunities for negotiation/dialogue with each other to arrive at a consensus.
Apart from that, webinars and virtual meetings were organized to sensitize the officers of Legal Services Authorities/ Committees, Panel Lawyers and PLVs about the importance of Lok Adalat as a mode for Alternate Dispute Resolution.
As per the information received from different Legal Services Institutions of various districts of UT of J&K, out of a total number of 1,21,018 cases that were taken up by 149 Benches in the day long National Lok Adalat by various courts across the UT of J&K, 1,07,869cases were disposed of and an amount of Rs. 73,73,52,092/- was awarded as compensation/settlement amount in Motor Accident Claims, civil, criminal, labour disputes, Electricity and Water Bills cases, Land Acquisition, Family matters, cheque dishonor and Bank Recovery cases.
Amit Kumar Gupta, Member Secretary, J&K Legal Services Authority while addressing the media persons appreciated the efforts of all the Judicial Officers, Secretaries DLSA’s, Advocates, staff of the district and tehsil courts as well as Legal Services Institutions besides litigants for their whole hearted participation in the National Lok Adalat and playing an important role in settlement of cases.
He also highlighted the role of Para Legal Volunteers and the media, both print and electronic, in spreading awareness amongst the masses regarding the initiatives taken by Legal Services Authority Institutions for the welfare of downtrodden and marginalized sections of the society. He further informed that in the coming days a fresh calendar of activities shall be published including the dates for next year’s National as well as Special Lok Adalats.