BILASPUR,CG: The upcoming National Lok Adalat will be held on September 21, 2024. Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court and Chief Patron of the Chhattisgarh State Legal Services Authority, Justice Ramesh Sinha, reviewed the preparations for the Lok Adalat through video conferencing on Tuesday.

The Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha in his address expressed that with the increasing number of pending cases in the courts, it is essential that during the Lok Adalats, every effort be made to legally resolve cases that are amenable to compromise with the mutual consent of the parties.

Justice Sinha emphasized that resolving cases through Lok Adalats benefits both parties involved and reduces the number of pending cases in the courts. This allows the presiding officers to devote more time to other pending cases during regular court days. Regarding the National Lok Adalat on 21 September 2024, he stressed the importance of identifying and duly resolving the maximum number of civil, criminal, and other resignable cases, especially those pending for more than 5 and 10 years.

He also highlighted the need to resolve pre-litigation matters by pre-sitting the parties involved in applications submitted by banks, financial institutions, power distribution companies, BSNL, insurance companies, and others. By resolving compoundable cases at the pre-litigation level, such cases do not reach the courts, benefiting the parties and preventing an increase in pending cases.

As per the calendar set by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), New Delhi, the National Lok Adalat will be organized on 21 September 2024 in the High Court, Tehsil Courts, and Revenue Courts. According to information from the districts, a total of 215,083 cases, including 180,259 pre-litigation cases and 34,824 cases pending in the courts, have been identified for possible compromise between the parties.

In the meeting held to prepare for the National Lok Adalat, Justice Goutam Bhaduri, Judge of the Chhattisgarh High Court and Executive Chairman of the Chhattisgarh State Legal Services Authority, and Justice Sanjay K. Aggarwal, Judge and Chairman of the High Court Legal Services Committee, participated.