16,726 CASES SETTLED IN NATIONAL LOK ADALAT IN FEROZEPUR

Vikram Ditya Sharma/Ferozepur

As many as 16,726 cases were settled out of 21,194 cases taken up during the National Lok Adalat organised across courts in Ferozepur district today under the directions of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), Delhi.

As many as 14 benches were constituted for the Lok Adalat in the district. Of these, 10 benches were set up in the courts of the Sessions Division, Ferozepur, one at the Permanent Lok Adalat, one at Zira and two at Guru Har Sahai.

Cases taken up included civil matters, compoundable criminal cases, cheque-bounce and recovery cases, traffic challans, domestic disputes, cancellation and untraced reports, Motor Accident Claims Tribunal cases and pre-litigation matters. These included recovery cases involving banks, private finance companies, mobile and telephone companies. The matters were settled through mutual consent between the parties.

To facilitate visitors, the DLSA set up a help desk at the public entry gate of the District Court Complex, Ferozepur, to assist people with inquiries and guide them regarding the Lok Adalat. Similar help desks were also set up at Zira and Guru Har Sahai.

DLSA officials said a decision taken by a Lok Adalat cannot be appealed or challenged. The award has the status of a decree and provides litigants an opportunity to resolve disputes through mutual settlement, saving them from prolonged litigation and associated mental stress.

They said the process was aimed at ensuring that both parties felt like winners, as there was no concept of one party being defeated in a settlement reached through mutual consent.