Srinagar: Under the aegis of National Legal Services Authority, the J&K Legal Services Authority organized 3rd National Lok Adalat of the calendar year 2023 throughout the J&K, on Saturday under the zestful leadership of Justice N. Kotiswar Singh, Chief Justice, High Court of J&K and Ladakh & Patron-in-Chief, J&K Legal Services Authority, Justice Tashi Rabstan, Executive Chairman, J&K Legal Services Authority and also under the able guidance of Justice Sindhu Sharma, Chairperson, High Court Legal Services Committee.
In order to boost amicable settlements amongst the parties in cases like MACT, Matrimonial disputes, cheque bounce 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 more chances for negotiation/dialogue with the opposite parties 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.
Chief Justice on Saturday inaugurated the 3rd National Lok Adalat at District Court Complex Poonch, where he was received by Ashwani Kumar, District & Session Judge along with Amit Kumar Gupta, Member Secretary, J&K Legal Services Authority, Yasin M. Choudhary, Deputy Commissioner, Vinay Kumar, SSP, Madan Lal, CJM, Wajahat Hussain Kazmi, Secretary DLSA, Javed Rana, Special Mobile Magistrate and Adv. Shokit Manhas, President Bar Association Poonch.
A Ceremonial Guard of honour was accorded to Chief Justice by J&K Police before inauguration of the National Lok Adalat. After inauguration, the Chief Justice inspected different benches constituted to have first-hand information about the cases being taken up for disposal in the said Lok Adalat. Chief Justice on this occasion also delivered Cheques besides distributing scooties to the specially-abled persons identified by Social Welfare Department and urged upon the litigants to take maximum benefit of the Lok Adalat.
Thereafter, Chief Justice also visited District Jail Poonch and took stock of the facilities being provided to the inmates there. He also visited the historical Govt. Girls Hr. Secondary School, Sheesh Mahal Poonch,whereafter, he held a formal meeting with the district administration headed by the Deputy Commissioner Poonch and urged for synergy between the executive and the judiciary and focused to arrange Legal literacy clinics in the Panchayat ghars at all panchayat levels in the district Poonch.
Likewise, Justice Tashi Rabstan, Judge, High Court of J&K and Ladakh and Executive Chairman, J&K Legal Services Authority visited District Court Complex, Jammu, where he was accorded a warm welcome by Sanjay Parihar, Pr. District & Sessions Judge ,Jammu along with other judicial officers. Justice Tashi was given ceremonial guard of honour, where after, he inaugurated the 3rdNational Lok Adalat of the year 2023 at District Court Complex, Jammu. Justice Tashi also delivered cheques of awarded compensation to the beneficiaries present there. While interacting with theAdvocates and the litigant public, Justice Tashi urged them to take maximum benefit of the Lok Adalat in settling their disputes.
As per the information received from different Legal Services Institutions of various districts of J&K, out of a total number of 1,17,266 cases taken up by 149 Benches in the day long National Lok Adalat at various courts across the J&K, 1,02,343cases were disposed of and an amount of Rs. 70,35,71,433/- 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.
Member Secretary, J&K Legal Services Authority, Amit Kumar Gupta while talking to 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 creating and spreading awareness amongst the masses regarding the initiatives of Legal Services Authority and about welfare schemes launched by the Govt. and Legal Services Authority. The 4th/Last National Lok Adalat of the year is scheduled to be held on Saturday, December09, 2023.
