JAMMU: J&K Legal Services Authority and Ladakh Legal Services Authority organized National Lok Adalat throughout the U.Ts of J&K and Ladakh, today on Saturday, December 11th, 2021.
In order to have maximum response and settlements between the parties in cases like MACT, matrimonial, cheque bounce cases under NI Act, Money recovery cases, etc., it was advised to organize pre-lok Adalat sittings or pre-counselling sessions (either video or tele-conferencing or physical with social distancing) well before the date of National Lok Adalat so that parties may get one or more chances for entering into negotiation/dialogue with the opposite parties.
Apart this, webinars 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.
Justice Pankaj Mithal, Chief Justice, High Court of J&K and Ladakh and Patron-in-Chief J&K Legal Services Authority inaugurated the National Lok Adalat at High Court Complex Jammu in presence of Justice Tashi Rabstan, Chairman High Court Legal Services Committee.
During the course of proceedings, the Chief Justice distributed cheques of compensation amount settled in the National Lok Adalat to the victims of motor accidents.
Likewise Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey, Executive Chairman, J&K Legal Services Authority inaugurated the National Lok Adalat in District Court Complex Srinagar in presence of Justice Mohammad Akram Chowdhary.
Thereafter, Justice Magrey, inspected different benches of the National Lok Adalat in District Court Complex as well as in the Srinagar Wing of the High Court to have first-hand information about the cases being taken up and disposed off in the National Lok Adalat.
As per the information received from the districts, out of a total number of 70789 cases taken up by 144Benches in the day long National Lok Adalat at various courts across the UT of J&K, 59071 Cases were disposed of and an amount of Rs. 59,85,70,761/- was awarded as compensation/settlement amount in civil, criminal, labour disputes, Electricity and Water Bills cases, Land Acquisition, Family matters, cheque dishonor and Bank Recovery cases.
Likewise, in Ladakh a total of 797 Cases were taken up by 6 benches and 578 cases were disposed of and an amount of Rs. 2,01,24,382/- was awarded as compensation/settlement amount in civil, criminal, labour disputes, Electricity and Water Bills cases, Land Acquisition, Family matters, cheque dishonor and Bank Recovery cases.
As per the directions of Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey and Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur, the main focus in this National Lok Adalat was on the matrimonial cases and cheque bounce cases. Before the Lok Adalat Executive Chairmen had few video conferences with all the Chairmen and the Secretaries of DLSAs and emphasized to identify and settle the maximum no. of cases. Out of 59,649 cases settled in National Lok Adalat 686 cases were matrimonial and cheque bounce cases.
Member Secretary, J&K and Ladakh Legal Services Authorities, M.K. Sharma thanked all the participants including the Judicial Officers, Secretaries DLSA’s, Advocates, representatives of insurance companies & banks, staff of the courts & Legal Services Institutions & litigants for their pragmatic approach in settlement of cases in such a large number.
