Sh. Manjinder Singh, Member Secretary, Punjab State Legal Services Authority, SAS Nagar visited at Alternative Dispute Redressal (ADR) Centre, District Courts Complex Patiala to supervise its working. He inspected the records being maintained in Legal Aid Defense Counsel system as well as Front Office, DLSA Office, Patiala. During this visit, he interacted with Retainer Lawyers in front office as well as Legal Aid defense Counsels. Ms Manni Arora, Chief Judicial Magistrate-cum-Secretary, District Legal Services Authority, Patiala was also present there.
On this occasion, he told that National Lok Adalat pertaining to Pre-Litigative cases and all types of pending cases in the Courts/Tribunals i.e. Cheque Bounce Cases, Money Recovery cases, Labour and Employment disputes cases, Electricity, Water bills and other bill payment cases, Maintenance Cases, cases of criminal compoundable offences, MACT Cases, Land Acquisition cases, service matters relating to pay and allowances and retirement benefits, Revenue cases & other civil cases (Such as rent, easmentary rights, injunction suits, specific performance suits) etc is going to be held in District Patiala on 09.12.2023. For this purpose, benches of Judicial Courts will be constituted at Patiala, Rajpura, Samana and Nabha.
He further told that primary objective of the Lok Adalats is to settle the disputes amicably through compromise, so as to save the time and money of the parties and to reduce personal enmity between them. Except, non-compoundable criminal cases, all kinds of cases even at pre-litigative stage, can be brought before said Lok Adalat for amicable settlement. He also told that when a case is settled in Lok Adalat, its award becomes final and no appeal lies against it. Moreover, court fees (if any paid) is refunded to the parties and parties to dispute get speedy disposal of their dispute and that too, as per their own mutually settled terms. So, there is a win-win situation for both parties
As such, an appeal is made to Public, to put forward their pending disputes before upcoming Lok Adalats, so as to save their valuable time and hard earned money. For this purpose, every litigant willing for settlement through Lok Adalat can request the Presiding Officer of the concerned court where his case is pending. Even in compoundable criminal cases, party can move an application for putting up the matter in Lok Adalat. In case of pre-litigative matter, request can be made to the Ld. Secretary, District Legal Services Authority, Patiala. Detailed information in this regard can be made available from website www.pulsa.gov.in or from toll free helpline no. 1968 & District Legal Services Authority, Patiala contact No. 0175-2306500.
