Dimapur, Dec. 9 (EMN): Nagaland state legal services authority (NSLSA) has settled 352 cases amounting INR 1,53,42,145 during the National Lok Adalat (people’s court) which was held across the state on December 8. The National Adalat was conducted at 11 Lok Adalat benches headed by the district judges, chief judicial magistrate and civil judges, who acted as presiding officers and the panel lawyers serving as conciliators along with the para-legal volunteers as members.
The organisation report stated that it received a total of 448 cases for settlement, in which a total of 352 cases were disposed and settled before the jurisdiction of the Lok Adalat. The total settlement amount involved in the disposed cases amounted to INR 1,53,42,145. The settlement amount was the amount mutually agreed for payment between the litigants/ parties involved in a dispute where the parties arrived at a willing amount to settle the disputes for the damaged caused or payment through amicably negotiated amount on a claim by a party. Settlement amount also included fine money, bank recovery money, compensation money etc among the disposed cases. The National Adalat cases referred mostly on bank recovery, and motor accident claim tribunal (MACT).
In Tuensang and Longleng districts, mobile lok adalat was conducted where the district legal services institution, with the assistance from traffic police, conducted traffic challan inspection under various traffic regulations.
The Lok Adalat sittings were observed within the premises of the district court buildings. Prior to the holding of Lok Adalat, necessary communications were reached out to the parties and litigants by encouraging them to come forward and settle their disputes/ cases in the forum of Lok Adalat. It stated that the litigants and parties were informed on the mechanism and benefit of Lok Adalat and also apprised them that they need not worry about getting into serious legal matters as appearing before the Lok Adalat is only to amicably settle a dispute among them.
NSLSA is the implementing nodal agency vested with the jurisdiction to organise and conducts National Lok Adalat (peoples’ court) under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. Lok Adalat is held at regular intervals which has benefited the citizens with the privilege of settling their disputes at free of cost all across the state.
