Mumbai: In a major reduction of a load on the judiciary, nearly five lakh cases were disposed of in National Lok Dalat held in the state on Saturday seeing a settlement worth Rs 2587.88 crore. The third National Lok Adalat was held by Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority, Mumbai, (MSLSA) under the aegis of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA). Chief Justice DK Upadhayaya is the Patron-in-Chief of MSLSA. The Lok-Adalat was organized alongside in three High Court Legal Services Committee/ Sub-Committees, 33 District Legal Services Authorities and Taluka Legal Services Committees.
A total of 4,97,271 cases were settled which included pre-litigation and pending cases. A total of 1,75,537 pending cases were disposed of which included 1,18,108 cases disposed on Saturday and 57,429 pending cases which were disposed of in a Special Drive, undertaken by all Courts for 5 days prior to the day of Lok Adalat. The settlement amount is Rs 2587.88 crores.
The cases disposed of included Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT), Matrimonial, Check bounce cases and other Civil cases. One of the cases settled at Mumbai included a settlement amount of Rs 2.32 crore. At MACT, Aurangabad, one matter was settled for Rs 1.05 crore.
In Beed District, one Civil Suit for declaration of ownership was pending since last 30 years was compromised between the parties in the Lok Adalat. A warring Pune couple, after 20 years of litigation, settled their dispute and decided to reside together peacefully. In more than 424 matrimonial disputes settled at the Lok Adalat, the parties have decided to reside together peacefully.
In order to ensure a comprehensive outcome in this Lok Adalat, Justice Nitin Jamdar, who is the Executive Chairman of MSLSA, had stressed upon conducting Pre Lok Adalat sittings. Accordingly, many pre-counselling sessions were held well before the National Lok Adalat, which gave parties adequate time and opportunity to enter into a dialogue resulting in maximum settlement of disputes, said Milind Todkar, deputy secretary of MSLSA. Todkar said that the figures of this Lok Adalat are indicative that Alternate Dispute Redressal (ADR) is not only effective but also an apt the propriate mechanism for redressal of disputes. It creates a win-win situation for all.
The settlement under Lok Adalat has got statutory sanctity under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, where the award (decision) arrived at in Lok Adalats has the effect of a Deemed Decree of a Civil Court, which paves way to attain finality and its binding effect on all parties to the settlement. When matter is settled in Lok Adalat, the parties get refund of entire Court fees. MSLSA has appealed to all the stakeholders to participate utmost and achieve higher goals in the upcoming Lok Adalat too which is scheduled to be held on December 9 this year.
