Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh-
The Haryana State Legal Services Authority (HALSA) successfully organised the 2ndNational Lok Adalat of the year on July 12, 2025, under the visionary guidance of Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court and Executive Chairperson, HALSA, Justice Lisa Gill. The Lok Adalat was held across all 22 Districts and 34 Sub-Divisions of Haryana through the District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs).
One of the key highlights was the resolution of an 11-year-old criminal appeal titled Kashmir Vs. M/s Simar, pending before the District Courts, Karnal. The matter was successfully settled in the National Lok Adalat held at Karnal and was presided over by Ld. Additional District and Sessions Judge, Karnal, Sh. Rajnish Kumar Sharma.
In another remarkable instance of timely and compassionate justice delivery, a Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) case titled Ajay vs. Kuber and ICICI Lombard Insurance Co., pending since 2020 because the petitioner had not been issued a disability certificate. Recognizing the urgency and sensitivity of the matter, the District and Sessions Judge-cum-Chairman, District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Faridabad, took proactive steps to facilitate a resolution and a medical expert, present at the court premises as part of Lok Adalat arrangements, promptly examined the petitioner and assessed permanent disability to the extent of 41 percent. This immediate assessment enabled meaningful negotiations. The matter was amicably settled for a sum of Rs. 6,50,000, significantly higher than the initial claim of Rs. 3,00,000 made in the petition.
Today’s Lok Adalat, including pre-Lok Adalat sittings, witnessed the disposal of more than 05 lakh cases, demonstrating the strong commitment of HALSA and the judiciary to ensuring accessible and speedy justice.
A total of 170 benches were constituted at various courts to take up both pre-litigation and pending cases, encompassing a wide spectrum of matters such as civil disputes, matrimonial cases, motor accident claims, bank recovery suits, cheque bounce matters, traffic challans, compoundable criminal offences, and cases beforePermanent Lok Adalats (Public Utility Services). More than 06 lakh cases were referred to the benches for settlement.
The objective of organizing National Lok Adalats is to provide a cost-effective and efficient platform to the public for amicable settlement of disputes, without delay or prolonged litigation. The awards passed in Lok Adalats are final and binding, and litigants also benefit from the refund of court fees in settled matters.