In view of the increasing pendency of cases in courts, the only alternative forum to reduce the pendency is Lok Adalats, according to Principal District Judge and Chairman of District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) C.H. Kanakadurga Rao. The Principal District Judge was inaugurating the National Lok Adalat on the premises of district courts here on Saturday.
Addressing the judicial officers and public, Mr. Rao said apart from Lok Adalats, alternative dispute resolution, mediation, conciliation and settlement through Judicial Forums were the other available modes for resolution of cases.
He emphasised the need for approaching Lok Adalats for early disposal of cases. He said the awards passed in Lok Adalat were not appealable and it would save time and money for the litigant public. Litigants can get refund of court fee in the cases settled in Lok Adalats.
The accident victims have to get compensation in the shortest possible time and it is possible only through Lok Adalats. All cases relating to family, property, money, accident, labour and compoundable criminal cases can be settled there. The District Judge appreciated the role of advocates in getting the cases referred to Lok Adalat for settlement. He commended the cooperation of Chittoor SP Ghattamaneni Srinivas in the settlement of criminal cases.
Awareness campaign
The SP informed the Lok Adalat forum that he would initiate a massive awareness campaign for settlement of criminal cases in good numbers.
DLSA Secretary Velpula Krishna Murthy also spoke on this occasion. He said that as many as 52 civil, 145 criminal, 45 motor vehicle, 61 excise and 18 pre-litigation cases worth Rs. 2.21 crore were settled all over the Chittoor district.
1,670 cases solved
Ongole Staff Reporter adds
As many as 1,670 cases were settled on a single day at the Mega Lok Adalats held across Prakasam district on Saturday thanks to increasing awareness among litigants about the concept of people’s court.
Principal District Judge K.V. Vijaykumar, who inaugurated the Mega Lok Adalat here, exhorted the litigants to amicably resolve their differences, saving time and money in the process. “In this alternative dispute resolution method, both the parties to the dispute are winners,” he pointed out.
First litigation-free village
Taking a cue from Nagireddypalle which has become first litigation-free village in the district, people of other villages also should sit at the village square and resolve differences among themselves, he said.
Litigants returned home happier getting monetary benefits to the tune of Rs.1.17 crore, said District Legal Services Authority secretary and Senior Civil Judge T. Raja Venkatadri.
As many as 300 criminal cases were also settled as also 1,000 cases relating to the Electricity Department, he added.
488 cases settled
Vizianagaram Corespondent adds: A total of 488 cases have been settled with mutual consent of complainants and Rs. 1.39 crore has been paid as compensation to the litigants at the National Lok Adalat that was conducted at the Zilla Nyaya Seva Sadan in the District Court complex here on Saturday.
Of the cases settled, 47 were related to MVOP (Motor Vehicle Original Petitions), 216 criminal, 65 labour, 153 electricity and seven other cases. In addition to three benches at the Nyaya Seva Sadan here, the Lok Adalat was conducted at Cheepurupalli, Gajapathinagaram, S. Kota, Kurupam, Bobbii, Salur, Parvathipuram, and Kothavalasa centres, said V. Venkateswara Rao, Special Judge for SC/ST trial cases, who formally inaugurated the National Lok Adalat.
Speaking on the occasion, he said since the cases would be settled with mutual consent of the litigants at Lok Adalats, there would be no provision for appeal in other courts.
He said response to Lok Adalats from litigants was encouraging. Senior Civil Judge Velamala Naresh, Principal Junior Civil Judge T.V. Rajesh Kumar and others were present.
