Lok Adalats support the poor in fight against govt, says SC Justice TS Thakur

New Delhi: The already over-burdened judiciary has been aided by the alternate dispute redressal mechanism of Lok Adalats which have decided 8.25 crore pre-litigation and pending cases in over 15.14 sittings in the last two decades, senior Supreme Court judge TS Thakur said on Monday.

Justice Thakur, the executive chairman of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) who would succeed Chief Justice HL Dattu, said Lok Adalats have been effective and have “relieved judiciary of a huge burden of trial, appeals and revisional proceedings and resultant delays in the disposal of these matters” as their decisions are final and binding.

“To sum up, since January to September this year, more than 1.28 lakh Lok Adalats have been organised in the country and more than 57 lakh cases, including those pending in courts and those at pre-litigation stage, have been settled.

“It is also pertinent to mention that as on 30 September, a total of more than 15.14 lakh Lok Adalats have been organised in the country and 8.25 crore cases, including cases pending in the courts as well as those in the pre-litigation stage, have been settled in these Lok Adalats,” he said in his address on Legal Services Day and Commendation Ceremony, also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Highlighting the benefits of the NALSA Act, Justice Thakur said it gave support to the poor people fighting the mighty state, which is the key litigant against whom 80 percent matters were filed.

“We know the state is the biggest litigant in the judicial system of this country. Eighty per cent of the litigation is against the state. Against the mighty state against whom the litigant has to fight his case, poorer sections of the society find themselves isolated.

“It was in that spirit of ensuring access to justice to such sections pitted against the state becomes a reality, Parliament has made such a programme. That will continue to be so. No system, no polity, no society can survive where you don’t not ensure justice…,” he said.

Justice Thakur also sought the support of public broadcasters, All India Radio and Delhi Doordarshan, and urged the prime minister to ask them not to charge NALSA and the State Legal Services Authorities (SALSAs) in promoting legal awareness among the masses.

Besides the prime minister and Justice Thakur, Law Minister DV Sadanand Gowda, Supreme Court judge AR Dave and Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Justice G Rohini attended the closing ceremony of the three-day-long function in New Delhi.

Justice Thakur drew the future road map for the NALSA and SALSAs and told the gathering that about seven different schemes have been launched on subjects like rehabilitation of victims of “Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation”.

He also spoke on other schemes including providing legal services to workers of the unorganised sector, children and mentally ill persons.

The schemes also include NALSA’s programme on effective implementation of poverty alleviation, protection and enforcement of tribal rights and providing legal services to victims of drug abuse, he said.

Justice Thakur, in his address, also referred to the cases disposed by Lok Adalats under different heads.

“For instance, in the National Lok Adalat for pending bank cases, only cases relating to bank loans were taken-up in which the number of cases decided were as high as two and half lakh (2,68,453 cases). Another 5 lakh cases (5,05,379 cases) were decided in these Lok Adalats where the cases were taken up at pre-litigation stage. The total settlement amount involved is to the tune of approximately Rs 3,350 crore…

“Similarly, cases arising out of Motor Accident Claims were decided in large number, both pending and pre-litigation.

“To be precise, one lakh fifty thousand (1,58,123) pending cases and one lakh sixty thousand (1,60,601) pre-litigation cases were decided in the National Lok Adalat settling an amount of Rs 915 crore (Rs 951,55,85,479) towards compensation payable to the injured or the legal heirs of the deceased,” he said.

PTI