SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, May 10: A total of 3,47,692 disputes were resolved on Saturday during the first National Lok Adalat of the year, held at the Dhanbad civil court premises.
District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) secretary and sub-judge Rakesh Roshan informed that 14 benches were constituted under the direction of the Principal District and Sessions Judge to facilitate settlements and compromises. Of the total cases resolved, the highest number—3,08,938—were pre-litigation matters.
According to the latest report, the Lok Adalat led to the recovery of a staggering sum of Rs 1 billion, 15 crore, 13 lakh, 68 thousand 446 across all settled cases, showcasing the effectiveness of the alternative dispute resolution system.
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Widow Receives Over ₹99 Lakh Compensation
In a significant instance, a helpless woman named Brajmani Sharma, who lost her husband in a road accident, was awarded ₹99 lakh as compensation through the Lok Adalat process.
The National Lok Adalat was inaugurated online by Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad of the Jharkhand High Court. On-site formalities were completed by DLSA chairman and Principal District and Sessions Judge Virendra Kumar Tiwari, along with DLSA vice-chairman and Dhanbad Deputy Commissioner Madhvi Mishra.
Justice Accessible to All: Judges and Officials Speak
Judge Tiwari, addressing the event, emphasized that the National Lok Adalat, started in 2013, was aimed at ensuring affordable and accessible justice for all, as guaranteed by the Constitution of India.
Deputy Commissioner Madhvi Mishra noted that such Lok Adalats are organized in the interest of common citizens and highlighted the indispensable role of the administration in delivering justice at the grassroots level.
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Bar Association and Judicial Officers Highlight Benefits
Dhanbad Bar Association President Amrendra Kumar Sahay stated that Lok Adalats provide people with relief from the long and expensive process of regular court proceedings, offering them peace of mind through faster resolution.
Sub-judge Rakesh Roshan reiterated the Lok Adalat’s role in clearing a large number of cases efficiently, saving time and effort for both the judiciary and litigants.
Senior Judges in Attendance
The event saw the presence of several senior judicial officers, including Family Court Principal Judge T. Hussain, S.N. Mishra, District and Session Judge Durgesh Chandra Awasthi, Rajnikant Pathak, CJM Arti Mala, ACJM Rajiv Tripathi, Civil Judge I.Z. Khan, SJM Abhijeet Pandey, Railway Judicial Magistrate Manoj Kumar, and Wrishi Kumar.
