Cuttack: The first National Lok Adalat of the year in Odisha resulted in the settlement of 3,11,690 cases across the state, with courts directing the recovery of ₹166, 23,13,925 as fines and compensation.
The statewide Lok Adalat was conducted under the guidance of Justice Harish Tandon, Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court and Chief Patron of the Odisha State Legal Services Authority (OSLSA), along with Justice Manas Ranjan Pathak, Executive Chairman of the Authority.
Organised under the aegis of the National Legal Services Authority, New Delhi, the Lok Adalat was held simultaneously in all 30 districts of Odisha at district and taluka court premises as well as in various tribunals and forums.
According to the OSLSA, the settlements included 19,801 pending cases in district and taluka courts, the Debt Recovery Tribunal, the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, industrial tribunals, labour courts and other forums. In addition, 2,81,612 revenue-related cases were resolved through mutual compromise.
Among the disposed matters were 306 compoundable criminal cases, 20 plea bargaining cases, 1,799 cheque bounce cases under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 471 money recovery cases, and 928 motor vehicle accident compensation claims. The Lok Adalat also resolved 968 compoundable traffic challans, 48 labour disputes, 467 family and matrimonial disputes, and 1,566 other civil cases, besides 13,167 other criminal cases.
Other settlements included 2 land acquisition cases, 8 service-related disputes including pension matters, 17 intellectual property and consumer disputes, 7 cases from the Debt Recovery Tribunal, 6 cases from the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, 3 labour court cases, and 12 industrial tribunal cases. Additionally, 10,277 cases at the pre-litigation stage were also settled amicably.
All the cases were resolved through mutual agreement between the parties, underscoring the role of Lok Adalats in promoting speedy and cost-effective dispute resolution while reducing the burden on regular courts.
