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Dimapur, Dec. 14 (EMN): The district legal services authorities in all the district headquarters in Nagaland on Saturday conducted the National Lok Adalat, or people’s court, with similar activities that were conducted across the country.
A total of 11 Lok Adalat sitting benches were constituted for settlement of various disputes, and by bringing compromise between disputing parties through Lok Adalat conciliators, a press release from the legal services on Saturday informed. The press release was issued by the Lok Adalat wing of the Nagaland State Legal Services Authority.
‘In total, 136 disputes/cases were listed and taken up at the Lok Adalat. A total of 92 disputes and cases were disposed of amicably. A settlement amount was also involved in some cases, which in total amounts to INR 83,68,901 only,’ the update stated.
‘This settlement amount is the amount mutually agreed for payment between the litigants or parties who are involved in a dispute where the parties on arriving at a consensus or willing amount settle the disputes for the damaged caused or a negotiated amount for payment on a claim by a party.’
The settlement amount also includes fine money, bank recovery money, money suits, compensation money etc, the press release stated.
“Among the cases dealt and disposed of, most of them were bank recovery cases, civil cases. 10 cases of Motor Vehicle Accident Compensation cases pending before the MACT, Dimapur, were taken up and all 10 cases were disposed of in this Lok Adalat,” the organisers stated.
The press release acknowledged the efforts made by the district judges, chief judicial magistrates and civil judges who acted as presiding officers, and panel lawyers, and advocate as conciliators along with paralegal volunteers who acted as members. Their efforts were commendable in disposing cases and thereby reducing the burden of case ‘pendency’ in the courts, the organisers stated.
Officials of banks from various branches, various insurance companies and institutions were commended for their participation in the Lok Adalat, which resulted in a quick and inexpensive settlement with a significant number of bank recovery case settlements.
Usually, the Lok Adalat sittings are conducted within the premises of district court buildings and sometimes camp courts. Mobile Lok Adalat are also organised by the district legal authorities.
The organisers said the Lok Adalat is a platform for people based on the principle of serving justice on an equal opportunity basis, compromise, conciliation and on fair play.
‘It is not at all a substitute to the present justice dispensation system, but rather complementary to achieving speedy justice and a binding resolution. Lok Adalat is less inexpensive than the regular court-based litigation.’
A person can bring a dispute or case before the Lok Adalat for settlement if the dispute is not yet brought before any court. Either party to the dispute may submit an application before the chairman or secretary of the district legal services authority expressing their desire to get the dispute settled in the Lok Adalat.
‘If the case is already pending before any court, tribunal, authority or office, it may be referred to the Lok Adalat by filing a joint memo by both the parties to it or by filing an application by either party to it. For pending cases in courts, the court may itself refer a case to the Lok Adalat on its own if it considers the case to be fit for settlement in Lok Adalat,’ the press release stated.
‘The litigants will get the same justice which they get in the court concerned. The litigants may get their disputes settled only when they are satisfied with the compromise proposed by the conciliators. If they are not satisfied, they are at liberty to proceed with their case before the court concerned,’ the press release stated.