The National Lok Adalat held across Haryana on September 9 saw the highest number of cases being settled in such an exercise in the state to date. A total of 3,14,216 cases, including pending ones, were settled with a total settlement value of Rs 952 crore. The National Lok Adalat took up 1,51,834 cases, out of which 1,22,969 cases were disposed of at the pre-litigation stage, with a total settlement value of nearly Rs 774 crore. Additionally, 2,60,518 pending cases were taken up. Of these, 1,91,247 were settled at an amount of over Rs 178 crore. The event was closely monitored by Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Justice Arun Palli, the executive chairman of the Haryana State Legal Services Authority (HALSA); Subhas Mehla, member secretary of HALSA, and other high court officials. A HALSA spokesperson said that the National Lok Adalat addressed a wide range of cases related to civil, criminal, matrimonial, bank recovery and Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) issues, petty offences, summary cases, traffic challans, and cases under the Negotiable Instruments Act. It also included cases handled by the Permanent Lok Adalats (Public Utility Services) operating within the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Centres. The primary objective of the National Lok Adalat is to provide litigants an opportunity to settle their disputes amicably, fostering an environment of conciliation and cooperation.
