The four Lok Adalats, organised by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), disposed of 1.27 crore cases across the country in 2021, the authority said on Monday.
The settlement amount involved Rs 25,000 crore, NALSA said.
The cases disposed of included 55.81 lakh pending matters and 72.02 lakh pre-litigation ones, NALSA said in a press release.
The number involved cases pertaining to 36.31 lakh criminal compoundable offences; 2.99 lakh under Negotiable Instruments Act; 1.31 lakh under Motor Accident Claim Tribunal (MACT); 2.99 lakh labour disputes; 78,481 matrimonial disputes; 6.46 lakh bank recovery and 3.39 lakh civil matters.
NALSA said that under the guidance of its Executive Chairman and Supreme Court judge, Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, it initiated consultations and review meetings with all the State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs) to adopt a result-oriented approach and to maximise disposal of cases in National Lok Adalats.
“Using technological advancements and virtual platforms, Legal Services Authorities started reaching the doorsteps of the parties. Resultantly, parties were able to join preparatory meetings as well as the Lok Adalat proceedings from their homes or workplaces, saving them the hassles of travelling,” it said.
The number of pending cases has increased during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, putting additional burden on the system, it said.
“However, with a large number of disposal through Lok Adalats, a substantial contribution has been made by the Legal Services Authorities to reducing such burden on the Judicial Administration,” it said.
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