Permanent Lok Adalat to take up challans

And, with a pendency of at least 40,000 such challans in different courts in Chandigarh, leading to harassment of the public, some such challans are also likely to be transferred to this Lok Adalat soon.

Under the Act, the permanent Lok Adalat can summon and enforce the attendance of any witness and can examine him on oath, can order for the discovery and production of any document, can have evidence on the basis of affidavit and can ask for any public record or document from any court or office for the settlement of a matter, which includes the challans and compoundable criminal matters.

Such matters can also be taken by the Lok Adalat, in case a common man desires so and makes a request to it in this regard.

Among various other matters which will be taken up by the permanent lok Adalat include cases relating to matrimonial disputes, landlord-tenant controversies, commercial disputes and other related matter which are compoundable criminal matters.

Also, under the provisions of the Act any person whose income is below Rs 18,000 per annum, or any other person in custody, SC/ST member, victims of trafficking, mass disaster, ethnic violence, caste atrocities, flood, drought, earthquake, industrial disaster or industrial workmen can also approach the permanent Lok Adalat, who are also entitled to financial aid for having legal services.

Meanwhile, the permanent Lok Adalat, having the members-secretary of the UT State Legal Services Authority as its judge, would initially work for a few hours everyday in the District Courts complex, where it has been allotted a permanent room.