Over 63,000 Cases Settled in National Lok Adalat Across Himachal
Shimla, March 14: The National Lok Adalat was held across courts in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday, disposing of thousands of cases and settling claims worth over ₹71 crore in a single day.
Organised under the patronage of Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and the guidance of Justice Vivek Singh Thakur, the Lok Adalat took up both pre-litigation and pending cases across the state. Himachal Pradesh State Legal Services Authority coordinated the exercise.
According to the authority, 1,03,064 cases were listed before 130 benches, out of which 63,756 cases were settled during the day-long proceedings. The settlements involved an amount of about ₹71.24 crore, which was awarded to claimants.
To make the process easier for litigants, courts also introduced online payment of compounding fees through ePay (eCourts Digital Payment), particularly for motor vehicle challans and traffic cases in the courts of traffic magistrates.
The legal services authority carried out extensive awareness campaigns ahead of the Lok Adalat through SMS alerts, jingles, IEC material and outreach involving NGOs, Panchayati Raj institutions, para-legal volunteers and local bodies to inform people about the benefits of amicable dispute settlement.
Member Secretary of the State Legal Services Authority Ranjeet Singh Thakur, District and Sessions Judge, thanked the digital and other media for their support in giving wide publicity to the event, which helped ensure strong public participation and the success of the National Lok Adalat.
