Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 14: The first National Lok Adalat of 2026 was held across the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh today, resulting in the amicable settlement of over 68,000 cases, resulting in speedy relief to thousands of litigants.
Organized by the J&K and Ladakh Legal Service Authorities, the Lok Adalat aimed to promote alternative dispute resolution and reduce the pendency of cases in courts.
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A statement said in Jammu and Kashmir, the Lok Adalat was held under the patronage of Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Justice Arun Palli, and under the leadership of Executive Chairman of the J&K Legal Services Authority, Justice Sanjeev Kumar.
The initiative was conducted with the guidance of Justice Sanjay Dhar, Chairperson of the High Court Legal Services Committee.
Across the Union Territory, 194 benches were constituted to take up cases related to Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT), matrimonial disputes, cheque bounce cases under the Negotiable Instruments Act, bank recovery matters, civil disputes, commercial matters and compoundable criminal offences.
Justice Sanjeev Kumar inaugurated the first National Lok Adalat at the District Court Complex Jammu.
On his arrival, he was received by Principal District and Sessions Judge Jammu RN Wattal, who is also Chairperson of the District Legal Services Authority Jammu, along with Member Secretary of J&K Legal Services Authority Shazia Tabassum, Secretary DLSA Jammu Maleeka Sharma and other judicial officers.
During the visit, Justice Sanjeev Kumar inspected different benches constituted for the Lok Adalat and interacted with presiding officers, advocates and litigants.
He appreciated the arrangements made for the smooth conduct of the proceedings and lauded the efforts of judicial officers and other stakeholders.
During the day-long proceedings, several disputes were settled on the spot through mutual consent of the parties. MACT compensation cheques were also distributed among beneficiaries, providing timely financial relief to claimants.
According to information received from various Legal Services Institutions across the UT, a total of 76,707 cases were taken up during the Lok Adalat, out of which 67,993 cases were amicably settled. The settlements involved a total compensation and recovery amount of Rs 55, 86, 33, 017.
While interacting with judicial officers and litigants, Justice Sanjeev Kumar appreciated the coordinated efforts of judicial officers, Secretaries of District Legal Services Authorities, advocates, Legal Aid Defense Counsels, Para Legal Volunteers and court staff for ensuring the success of the Lok Adalat.
He said Lok Adalats play a crucial role in strengthening the justice delivery system by providing a speedy and cost-effective mechanism for settlement of disputes. He urged the public to take maximum advantage of such platforms and resolve their disputes through mutual understanding.
Member Secretary of the J&K Legal Services Authority Shazia Tabassum also appreciated the efforts of all stakeholders and said the authority will continue to strengthen the Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanism to ensure that justice reaches every section of society.
In the Union Territory of Ladakh, the first National Lok Adalat was virtually inaugurated at the District Court Complex Leh by Justice Sindhu Sharma, Judge of the High Court of J&K and Ladakh and Executive Chairman of the Ladakh Legal Services Authority.
On the occasion, the annual calendar of the Ladakh Legal Services Authority was also launched.
Six benches were constituted at District Court Complex Leh and at Munsif Courts in Nobra and Khaltsi to take up various cases including bank recovery matters, matrimonial disputes, civil cases and compoundable criminal cases.
During the Lok Adalat in Leh district, a total of 364 cases were taken up, out of which 220 were amicably settled. The settlement amount in these cases was Rs 73, 99, 710.
Addressing the gathering, Justice Sindhu Sharma said the people of Ladakh have a long tradition of resolving disputes through dialogue and mutual understanding.
She emphasized that as development increases, litigation may also rise, but litigants should make greater use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms such as Lok Adalats.
In District Udhampur, the first National Lok Adalat of 2026 was held under the chairmanship of Principal District and Sessions Judge Kalpana Revo, who is also Chairperson of DLSA Udhampur, and Secretary DLSA Udhampur Sumati Sharma.
The Lok Adalat was inaugurated by Kalpana Revo along with Additional District and Sessions Judge Yash Paul Sharma.
Seven benches were constituted across the district to facilitate the settlement of disputes through conciliation and mediation.
During the proceedings in Udhampur, a total of 1,278 cases were taken up, of which 661 were settled amicably. The settlements involved a total amount of Rs. 1, 68, 63, 470.
Similar Lok Adalats were also held at Ramnagar, Majalta and Chenani to extend the reach of justice to different parts of the district.
In Kathua district, the National Lok Adalat was organized at the ADR Centre of the Court Complex under the guidance of Principal District and Sessions Judge Kathua and Chairman DLSA Kathua Jatinder Singh Jamwal.
Eight benches were constituted at the district headquarters and various tehsil courts including Billawar, Hiranagar, Mahanpur and Bani to take up cases for settlement.
A large number of cases were taken up during the Lok Adalat and several disputes were resolved amicably. The settlements resulted in the recovery of Rs 3, 46, 96, 500.
Similarly, the District Legal Services Authority Reasi organized the Lok Adalat under the supervision of Principal District and Sessions Judge and Chairman DLSA Reasi Khalil Choudhary and the guidance of Secretary DLSA Reasi Pooja Gupta.
Sixteen benches were constituted across the district to take up both pre-litigation and post-litigation matters including matrimonial disputes, civil cases, cheque dishonour matters, criminal compoundable cases and bank recovery cases.
A total of 3,105 cases were taken up during the Lok Adalat, of which 2,327 cases were disposed of through amicable settlement. The total settlement amount in these cases was Rs. 1, 06, 01, 019.
In Rajouri district, the National Lok Adalat was held at the District Court Complex and other courts under the chairmanship of Principal District and Sessions Judge and Chairman District Legal Services Authority Rajouri Rajinder Sapru.
Three benches were constituted at the district headquarters while similar benches were also set up at tehsil-level courts.
During the daylong proceedings, a total of 1,197 cases, including both pre-litigation and post-litigation matters, were taken up.
Out of these, 772 cases were disposed of amicably with a compensation and settlement amount of Rs 1, 70, 98, 614. Among these, 35 MACT cases were taken up in the courts of the Principal District and Sessions Judge and Additional District and Sessions Judge Rajouri, out of which 25 cases were settled with compensation amounting to Rs. 1,39,65,000.
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