Chandigarh,September 12:
Punjab State Legal Services Authority successfully organized the National Lok Adalat of the year 2026 today across the State of Punjab under the patronage of Mr. Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra, Chief Justice, Punjab & Haryana High Court and under visionary leadership of Mr. Justice Deepak Sibal, Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court and Executive Chairman, Punjab State Legal Services Authority.
Giving information in this regard Mrs. Jagdeep Kaur Virk Member Secretary Punjab state legal services authority Punjab said that this mega initiative aimed at facilitating speedy, cost-effective and amicable settlement of disputes, thereby advancing access to justice in line with Article 39-A of the Constitution of India.
The Lok Adalat recorded active participation from litigants, judicial officers, advocates and allied stakeholders. A broad range of cases including civil, matrimonial, property, motor accident claims, banking, insurance and other compoundable matters were taken up and settled through conciliation and mutual consent. The exercise brought instant relief to litigants and also contributed significantly to the reduction of pendency of cases in courts.
A total of 404 Lok Adalat Benches were constituted across all Districts and Sub-Divisions of the State. Total 6,54,612 cases were taken up, out of which total 5,99,283 cases were settled amicably settled and awards amounting to Rs. 1116,10,96,635/- were passed.
This National Lok Adalat enabled thousands of litigants across Punjab to resolve disputes within a short span. Several long-pending matters, including disputes spanning over a decade, were successfully settled, leading to substantial decongestion of court dockets. In this Lok Adalat the married couple have been regenerated through after having a prolonged matrimonial dispute and one such success story related to district SAS Nagar in which the court has settled the dispute of the young couple in the case titled as “Karmajeet Kaur Vs Ravinder Singh”. The brief of the case was that the petitioner has filed the petition against the respondent under section 125 Cr.P.C. The Court persuaded the parties to affect the compromise. Finally, the parties settled the dispute in the National Lok Adalat and both husband and wife agreed to live together.
The Courts witnessed an overwhelming response from Banking Institutions, Insurance Companies, Government Departments, and the general public, reflecting the growing faith in the Lok Adalat mechanism.
On this occasion, Hon’ble Mr. Justice Deepak Sibal, Executive Chairman, Punjab State Legal Services Authority, appreciated the dedicated efforts of Judicial Officers, District Legal Services Authorities and volunteers across the State, whose collective commitment ensured the successful conduct of this mega event.
Punjab State Legal Services Authority also extends its deep gratitude to the Hon’ble High Court of Punjab and Haryana, all District Legal Services Authorities, the State Judiciary, Members of the Bar, Police Authorities and the Civil Administration for their invaluable support and cooperation.
