National Lok Adalat organizes throughout State of Punjab as per COVID-19 guidelines

Chandigarh, April 10:
Under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Mr. Justice Ajay Tewari, Judge, Hon’ble Punjab & Haryana High Court and Executive Chairman, Punjab State Legal Services Authority, the National Lok Adalat was organized on 10.04.2021 throughout the State of Punjab strictly as per the guidelines issued by the Centre as well as the State Government from time to time to restrict the surge of Covid-19. Like the National Lok Adalat in December 2020, this Lok Adalat was also held through both physical as well as virtual mode.
A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for virtual Lok Adalat was circulated to all the District Legal Services Authorities in State of Punjab, for the purpose of convenience of the Lok Adalat benches, Advocates as well as the Litigants.
Category-wise detail of the cases resolved in this Lok Adalat through mutual
settlement is as under:-
Pre-litigation:-
(i) NI Act cases under Section 138;
(ii) Money Recovery cases;
(iii) Labour and Employment dispute cases;
(iv) Electricity, Water bills and other bill payment cases (excluding non –
compoundable);
(v) Maintenance Cases;
(vi) Others (Criminal Compoundable and other Civil disputes)
Pending in the Courts/Tribunals:-
(i) Criminal Compoundable Offences;
(ii) NI Act cases under Section 138;
(iii) Money Recovery cases;
(iv) MACT cases;
(v) Labour and Employment dispute cases;
(vi) Electricity, Water Bills and other bill payment cases (excluding non-
compoundable);
(vii) Matrimonial disputes (except divorce);
(viii) Land Acquisition cases (Pending before civil courts/tribunals);
(ix) Services matters relating to pay & allowances and retiral benefits;
(x) Revenue cases (pending in District Courts and High Courts only);
(xi) Other civil cases (such as rent, easmentary rights, injunction suits, specific
performance suits)etc.;
In this mega event, 42351 cases were taken up by the 255 benches, out of which total 15681 cases were resolved amicably which includes pending court cases as well as pre-litigative cases, involving the settlement amount of more than Rs. 300 Cr. Various awards were passed with the consent of the parties. As per the provisions of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, the court fee was ordered to be refunded. The motivation by the Hon’ble Executive Chairman Mr. Justice Ajay Tewari, acted as a catalyst in resolving a large number of cases and brought back the lost smile and hope on the faces of the litigants.
On this occasion, the people have also been made aware about the toll free number 1968 for any kind of legal assistance available to all the needy persons particularly the marginalized segments. The Front Offices set up at District and Taluka level in the premises of the courts, are there to guide the litigants for obtaining free and effective legal aid.
Arun Gupta, Member Secretary, Punjab State Legal Services Authority has informed that the National Lok Adalats are held regularly strictly as per Schedule of the National Legal Services Authority and urged the general public to settle their grievances amicably in the Lok Adalats.