As per schedule of National Legal Services Authority, New Delhi and under able guidance of Hon’ble Mr. Justice Tejinder Singh Dhindsa, Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court and Executive Chairman, Punjab State Legal Services Authority, National Lok Adalat was organized on 13.08.2022 in the leadership of Sh. Harpal Singh, District & Sessions Judge-cum-Chairman, District Legal Services Authority, SAS Nagar.
In this Lok Adalat, Criminal Compoundable Offences, NI Act cases under Section-138, Bank Recovery Cases, MACT Cases, Matrimonial Disputes, Labour disputes, Land Acquisition cases, Electricity and Water Bills (Excluding non-compoundable theft cases), Service matters relating to pay and allowances and retiral benefits, Revenue Cases and Other Civil Cases (Rent, easmentary Rights, injunction Suits, specific performance suits) were taken up.
In this National Lok Adalat, 22 benches were constituted at District Headquarter which were presided over by Sh. Avtar Singh, Additional District & Sessions Judge; Sh. Sandeep Kumar Singla, Additional District & Sessions Judge; Sh. Parminder Singh Grewal, Additional District & Sessions Judge; Sh. Avtar Singh Barda, Additional District & Sessions Judge; Sh. Barjinder Pal Singh, Additional District & Sessions Judge; Sh. Vineet Kumar Narang, Civil Judge (Senior Division); Ms. Harpreet Kaur, Chief Judicial Magistrate; Ms. Sonali Singh, Additional Civil Judge (Senior Division); Sh. Jagjeet Singh, Civil Judge (Junior Division); Sh. Mukesh Kumar Singla, Civil Judge (Junior Division); Sh. Devnoor Singh, Civil Judge (Junior Division); Sh. Ravtesh Inderjit Singh, Civil Judge (Junior Division); Ms. Vishavjyoti, Civil Judge (Junior Division); Ms. Khyati Goyal, Civil Judge (Junior Division); Ms. Vaishnavi Sikka, Civil Judge (Junior Division); Sh. Kuljit Pal Singh, Chairman, Permanent Lok Adalat (PUS); Sh. Karamjit Singh Sullar,, Presiding Officer, Industrial Tribunal; Sh. Sanjeev Dutt Sharma, President, District Consumer Forum, SAS Nagar; Sh. Sarbjit Kaur, Sub-Divisional Magistrate , SAS Nagar; Sh. Arjun Grewal, Naib Tehsildar, SAS Nagar and Sh. Kulwinder Singh, Naib Tehsildar,
Besides this, 7 benches at Sub-Division, Kharar of Ms. Nidhi Saini, Civil Judge (Junior Division); Ms. Geeta Rani, Civil Judge (Jr. Divn.); Ms. Sudipa Kaur, Civil Judge (Jr. Divn.); Sh. Ravinder Kumar, Sub- Divisional Magistrate, Kharar; Sh. Jaswinder Singh, Tehsildar, Kharar; Sh. Puneet Bansal, Naib Tehsildar, Gharuan and Sh. Karamjit Khattra, Naib Tehsildar and 6 benches at Sub-Division, Derabassi of Sh. Ramesh Kumar, Civil Judge (Junior Division); Ms. Manjot Kuar, Civil Judge (Jr. Divn.); Sh. Himanshu Gupta, Sub- Divisional Magistrate, Derabassi; Sh. Kuldeep Dhillon, Tehsildar, Derabassi; Sh. Jagpal Singh Gill, Naib Teshildar, Zirakpur and Sh. Harinderjit Singh Punia, Naib Tehsildar were constituted for National Lok Adalat.
For the successful organization of this National Lok Adalat, Sh. Harpal Singh, Ld. District & Sessions Judge had called various meetings of judicial officers, Presidents and Secretaries of the Bar Associations SAS Nagar, Derabassi and Kharar, officials of other Departments i.e. Banks, Electricity Department, Labour Department, Insurance Companies etc. to sensitize them about the National Lok Adalat. They were also motivated and instructed to identify maximum number of cases which could be taken up in the National Lok Adalat and to make maximum efforts for disposal of the same in the Pre-Lok Adalats and National Lok Adalat.
*17 years old litigation ends in National Lok Adalat*
One Alamjit Singh had been litigating with Singhpura Co-operative House Building Society since the year 2005. The case had already been decided by the Trial Court and in appeal before the Court of Sh. Avtar Singh, Additional District & Sessions Judge, efforts were made for settlement between the parties and ultimately both the parties arrived at a compromise and buried the hatchet.
*Settlement Award of Rs.88 Lac Passed in National Lok Adalat by MACT*
There was a dispute between the parties before the Motor Accident Claim Tribunal regarding claim of death of one Suraj Parkash in roadside accident. The matter was taken up in the Lok Adalat and both the parties agreed to settle the matter amicably with the efforts of the Presiding Officer and Members of National Lok Adalat. Cheque worth Rs.88 Lac was given by the Insurance Company to the dependents of the deceased in the National Lok Adalat presided over by Sh. Sandeep Kumar Singla, Additional District & Sessions Judge, SAS Nagar. A 12 years litigation also came to an end in the Court of Ms. Sonali Singh, Additional Civil Judge (Senior Division), SAS Nagar when the matter was taken up for settlement between the parties in the National Lok Adalat.
Baljinder Singh Maan, Secretary, District Legal Services Authority, SAS Nagar informed that in this National Lok Adalat, 13263 cases had been taken up out of which 7421 cases were disposed of by virtue of compromise and awards of Rs.316,42,84,495/- were passed by the different Lok Adalat benches.
He also informed that seven couples who were living separately and litigating against each other were reunited in the National Lok Adalat with the efforts of Sh. Barjinder Pal Singh, Principal Judge, Family Court, SAS Nagar who organized counseling sessions for them by holding pre-lok adalats as a result of which they finally agreed to live together by resolving their all disputes and differences. The reunited couples were felicitated with one sapling each and were motivated to grow the plant and maintain good relationship.