12-05-2025
Maharashtra's Lok Adalat settles 4.5 lakh cases, recovers Rs 20 crore through challan
A TOTAL of 4.58 lakh cases, including 3.64 lakh pre-litigation cases and 94, 075 pending cases, were settled before the Lok Adalats across Maharashtra.
The cases were settled during the programme of second National Lok Adalat of this year held on Saturday across Maharashtra. During the Lok Adalats, Rs 19.93 crore were recovered in around 2.31 lakh traffic-e-challan cases, wherein Lok Adalat notices were sent through virtual mode.
The Lok Adalat was organised through the three high courts (Legal Services Committees/Sub Committees) at Mumbai along with Nagpur and Aurangabad benches of HC, 34 district and 305 taluka legal services authorities/committees across Maharashtra.
As per Shripad P Deshpande, Deputy Secretary of Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority (MSLSA), which is headed by senior most puisne judge of Bombay High Court Justice Atul S Chandurkar, the Lok Adalat received massive response from all over Maharashtra like its previous versions.
The MSLSA stated that 36,084 pending cases were disposed of through a 5-day special drive undertaken by all courts across Maharashtra prior to the Lok Adalat.
Disputes such as motor accident claim petitions, bank recovery claims, criminal compoundable offences, matrimonial disputes, dishonor of cheques cases, cases relating to electricity matters, matters relating to telephone bills and traffic police e-challan cases were dealt with by the Lok Adalat.
'The figures of this Lok Adalat and last Lok Adalats are indicative that Alternate Dispute Resolution is not only effective but also an appropriate mechanism for redressal of disputes. It creates a win-win situation for all,' the MSLSA stated.
As per the authority, the settlement under Lok-Adalat has got sanctity under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, where the award in such Lok Adalats is deemed to be a decree of a civil court, 'paving way to attain finality and binding effect on all parties to the settlement'.
It added that when a matter is settled in Lok Adalat, the parties get refund of entire court fees. The next Lok Adalat is scheduled on September 13.
