Punjab: Over 2 lakh cases taken up by 473 benches across state

The Punjab State Legal Service Authority (PSLSA) during the National Lok Adalat held on Saturday, took up 2,36,096 cases. As per a release issued by Arun Gupta, District and Sessions Judge-cum Member Secretary, PSLSA, under the leadership of Justice Tejinder Singh Dhindsa, Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court and Executive Chairman of PSLSA. The National Lok Adalat was organised on Saturday throughout Punjab.

The cases were taken up through 473 Lok Adalat benches. The Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT), district consumer redressal forums and revenue courts have held Lok Adalats to settle pending disputes. Various matters relating to matrimonial disputes, property disputes, cheque-bounce cases, labour matters, criminal compoundable cases, cases in DRT/ consumer forums/ revenue courts, cancellation/ untraced reports of various FIRs, etc., pending since long, were taken up.

Apart from this, various awards were passed with the consent of the parties. One of the initiatives taken by the PSLSA is holding the special camp courts in all the jails of Punjab by secretaries of District Legal Services Authorities (DLSA) on the day of National Lok Adalat.

People were also made aware about the Toll Free Number 1968 for any kind of legal assistance, particularly people who are marginalised. The front offices set up at the district and taluka level in the premises of the courts, are in existence to guide the litigants to obtain free, effective legal aid.