THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Jamshedpur, March 14: More than 24.25 lakh cases were disposed of in Jharkhand during the first National Lok Adalat of 2026, while disputes involving ₹2,813.96 crore were settled, according to figures released by the Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority (JHALSA).
Of the total, 22,59,352 pre-litigation cases and 1,66,384 pending cases were disposed of during the Lok Adalat held across the state on Saturday.
Lok Adalat inaugurated from Jamshedpur
The Lok Adalat was virtually inaugurated by Jharkhand High Court judge and JHALSA Executive Chairman Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad from Sidgora Town Hall in Jamshedpur. A state-level Legal Services-cum-Empowerment Camp was also organised on the occasion.
Justice Pradeep Kumar Srivastava, judge of the Jharkhand High Court, attended the programme as the guest of honour.
Several dignitaries, including the Principal District and Sessions Judge, Deputy Commissioner and Senior Superintendent of Police of Jamshedpur, were also present.
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Benefits worth ₹3 crore distributed
During the programme, assets worth ₹3 crore were distributed among 1,030 beneficiaries under various welfare schemes at the Legal Services-cum-Empowerment Camp organised by JHALSA.
Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Pradeep Kumar Srivastava handed over benefits to the beneficiaries.
Bench at Jharkhand High Court
At the Jharkhand High Court Legal Services Committee, one bench was constituted, which disposed of 11 pending cases during the Lok Adalat.
Call for social awareness
Addressing the gathering, Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad expressed hope that the first Lok Adalat of 2026 and the three upcoming Lok Adalats this year would achieve positive results.
He also stressed the need to ensure effective implementation of government welfare schemes, saying development of families leads to development of society, the state and the nation.
Justice Prasad also highlighted several social concerns, including witch-hunting, human trafficking, child sexual abuse and drug abuse, and called for greater awareness and vigilance to tackle these issues.
Ensuring access to justice
Justice Pradeep Kumar Srivastava said the central and state governments are committed to ensuring that welfare schemes reach every citizen. He noted that the National Legal Services Authority and State Legal Services Authorities play a key role in spreading legal awareness and ensuring access to justice.
The programme began with a welcome address by JHALSA Member Secretary Kumari Ranjana Asthana, while the vote of thanks was delivered by the Principal District and Sessions Judge, Jamshedpur.
Later, the chief guest and other dignitaries inspected stalls set up by various departments, gathered information about different welfare schemes and encouraged officials involved in their implementation.