Lok Adalat to be held on March 14

Mangaluru: The National Lok Adalat, to be held at courts across Dakshina Kannada district on March 14, will resolve disputes quickly and amicably, said principal district and sessions judge Basavaraj, who is also the chairman of District Legal Services Authority (DLSA).Addressing mediapersons on Monday, he appealed to litigants to settle disputes through mutual consent and thereby avoid delays in the litigation process.In Dakshina Kannada district, 54,677 cases are pending at various courts as of Feb 1. Of them, 3,000 cases, which can be settled through mutual consent, were referred for the Lok Adalat. Of these, 220 cases were already disposed of. A total of 931 cases were referred to Mediation Drive 2.0, which is being carried out from Jan 2. A total of 126 cases were settled through the drive, the judge said, adding that the district has 79 mediators.Litigation related to motor vehicle accidents, cheque bounce cases, civil disputes, matrimonial issues, bank loan recovery cases, and pre-litigation matters involving electricity and water bills, property tax, rental agreements, insurance claims, compensation, pension, and other issues will be taken up during the Lok Adalat. When a case is settled in a Lok Adalat, the original court fee is refunded, and the final settlement cannot be appealed. The majority of the cases referred to the Lok Adalat are related to cheque bounce and motor vehicle accident claims, the judge noted.He said efforts are on to identify land for the construction of buildings for the newly formed taluks, including those in Mulki and Ullal. Land was already identified for Kadaba taluk. The posts of magistrates in eight JMFC courts, including six in Mangaluru, are lying vacant, he said, adding the pendency of cases will be reduced once those posts are filled. DLSA member-secretary Zaibunnisa was present.