465 LOK ADALAT BENCHES CONSTITUTED,OVER 5.07 LAKH CASES SETTLED; AWARDS OF RS.761 CRORE PASSED
Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh-
Punjab State Legal Services Authority successfully organized the 1st National Lok Adalat of the year 2026 today across the State of Punjab under the patronage of Hon'ble Mr. Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice, Punjab & Haryana High Court and under visionary leadership of Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra, Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court and Executive Chairman, Punjab State Legal Services Authority.
Held under the aegis of the National Legal Services Authority, the mega initiative aimed at facilitating speedy, cost-effective and amicable settlement of disputes, thereby advancing access to justice in line with Article 39-A of the Constitution of India.
The Lok Adalat recorded active participation from litigants, judicial officers, advocates and allied stakeholders. A broad range of cases including civil, matrimonial, property, motor accident claims, banking, insurance and other compoundable matters were taken up and settled through conciliation and mutual consent. The exercise brought instant relief to litigants and also contributed significantly to the reduction of pendency of cases in courts.
A total of 465 Lok Adalat Benches were constituted across all Districts and Sub-Divisions of the State. As many as 5,69,425 cases were taken up, out of which 5,07,372 cases were settled amicably and awards amounting to Rs.761 crore were passed.
The National Lok Adalat enabled thousands of litigants across Punjab to resolve disputes within a short span. Several long-pending matters, including disputes spanning over a decade, were successfully settled, leading to substantial decongestion of court dockets.
The Courts witnessed an overwhelming response from Banking Institutions, Insurance Companies, Government Departments, and the general public, reflecting the growing faith in the Lok Adalat mechanism.
Notably, the National Lok Adalat bench of District Court Barnala has settled 17 years old civil dispute. It is notable case dating back to 2009, a recovery suit for Rs. 45,000 plus interest between Sukhdev Singh and Karnail Singh reached a final conclusion. Despite a decree in 2011 and property attachment in 2013, the execution had been stalled for years following the original plaintiff's death. Through the intervention of the Lok Adalat Bench, the legal representative of the plaintiff, Jaswinder Singh, reached a settlement. The claim was fully satisfied, and in a gesture of goodwill, the attachment on the defendant's property was released, ending nearly two decades of legal uncertainty.
A long-pending maintenance dispute titled Jasveer Kaur vs Gursharan Singh was amicably resolved during the National Lok Adalat Bench at Sri Muktsar Sahib. With the intervention of the Lok Adalat Bench the matter was amicably settled and the applicant was rehabilitated in her matrimonial home.
The National Lok Adalat, Benches of SAS Nagar have reunited families in several matrimonial disputes in one of the matrimonial disputes a long-pending matrimonial dispute between Meenu Bisht & Another and Ashisht Bisht, which had been ongoing for over six years, was successfully resolved during the National Lok Adalat at the Family Court, SAS Nagar (Mohali).
The case was originally filed under Section 125 Cr.P.C. on 12.03.2019 seeking maintenance. During the proceedings, both parties were persuaded by the court to settle their disputes amicably. The parties had also filed several civil and criminal cases against each other. Finally, the parties settled their matrimonial dispute in the National Lok Adalat and put full stop on all the matrimonial litigations.
Another long pending matrimonial dispute between Sourabh Uppal and Samriti Uppal was amicably resolved during the National Lok Adalat at District Courts, SAS Nagar (Mohali). The case related to a petition filed under the Guardians and Wards Act regarding meeting rights of the minor child. With the intervention of the court and after several counselling sittings, both parties agreed to a compromise and decided to live together peacefully. The long-pending dispute was thus settled and the couple left the court premises together along with their child.
On this occasion, Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra, Executive Chairman, Punjab State Legal Services Authority, appreciated the dedicated efforts of Judicial Officers, District Legal Services Authorities and volunteers across the State, whose collective commitment ensured the successful conduct of this mega event.
Punjab State Legal Services Authority also extends its deep gratitude to the Hon’ble High Court of Punjab and Haryana, all District Legal Services Authorities, the State Judiciary, Members of the Bar, Police Authorities and the Civil Administration for their invaluable support and cooperation.