Over 2,400 Cases settled, Rs 1.59 Crore Awarded in a day
KD NEWS SERVICE
REASI-JAMMU, Dec 13: In a major push towards expeditious and amicable justice delivery, the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) Reasi on Saturday successfully conducted the 4th National Lok Adalat, disposing of a remarkable number of cases and settling disputes worth over Rs 1.59 crore. The mega legal outreach programme was organised under the aegis of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and the Jammu and Kashmir Legal Services Authority, under the supervision of Mr. Khalil Ahmad Choudhary, Chairman DLSA and Principal District & Sessions Judge, Reasi.
The National Lok Adalat was formally inaugurated by Mr. Khalil Ahmad Choudhary, who highlighted the importance of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in ensuring speedy, cost-effective and people-friendly justice. He emphasised that Lok Adalats play a crucial role in reducing pendency of cases while restoring harmony between disputing parties through mutual consent.
The inaugural ceremony witnessed the presence of several senior civil, judicial and police officials, reflecting strong inter-departmental coordination. Among the prominent dignitaries present were Sh. Sukhdev Sambyal, Additional Deputy Commissioner Reasi; Ms. Geeta Kumari, Chief Judicial Magistrate Reasi; Sh. Rakesh Kumar, Additional Deputy Commissioner Reasi; Sh. Iftkar, Additional Superintendent of Police Reasi; Sh. Nitan Sharma, Assistant Commissioner Revenue Reasi; Ms. Shivali Sharma, Munsiff Reasi; Ms. Aastha Sharma, Additional Special Mobile Magistrate Reasi; Sh. Vishal Jamwal, SDPO Reasi; Sh. Vijay Kumar Verma, Assistant Commissioner Development Reasi; Sh. Masood Anwar, Assistant Director Fisheries Reasi; Dr. Shamim, Medical Officer, Department of AYUSH Reasi; and Sh. Pawan Dev Singh, President Bar Association Reasi, along with members of the Bar, legal aid counsels, PLVs, court staff and litigants.
Ms. Pooja Gupta, Secretary DLSA Reasi, who played a pivotal role in organising the event, supervised the proceedings and ensured smooth coordination among all benches and departments.
To ensure effective disposal of cases, 16 benches were constituted across the district, comprising judicial officers, executive magistrates, departmental heads and legal experts. Bench No. 1 was presided over by Mr. Khalil Ahmad Choudhary himself, along with Ms. Pooja Gupta as bench member. Other benches were chaired by senior judicial officers including Chief Judicial Magistrate Reasi, Munsiff Reasi, Munsiff Katra, Munsiff Mahore, and senior administrative officers such as ADDC, ACD, Tehsildar, ARTO, DFO, Assistant Labour Commissioner, District Social Welfare Officer, among others, assisted by Legal Aid Defence Counsels and advocates.
All the benches worked tirelessly throughout the day and took up a total of 3,065 cases, out of which 2,402 cases were amicably settled. The settlements resulted in a cumulative amount of Rs 1,59,94,215, marking a significant achievement for the district. The cases disposed of included matrimonial disputes, Negotiable Instruments Act cases, civil disputes, criminal compoundable cases, bank recovery matters, motor accident claims and pre-litigation cases, providing relief to thousands of litigants.
The overwhelming response and high disposal rate underscored the success of the National Lok Adalat in fulfilling its objective of promoting access to justice, reducing litigation burden and fostering compromise-based resolutions.
Adding a welfare dimension to the legal event, the DLSA Reasi, in collaboration with the Department of AYUSH Reasi, also organised a free medical camp at the District Court Complex. A team of medical officers examined over 200 persons, conducted blood pressure check-ups and NCD screenings, and distributed free medicines to nearly 300 beneficiaries. Dr. Shamim, Medical Officer AYUSH, also sensitised the public about symptoms and preventive measures related to seasonal infections.
The medical camp was attended by advocates, court staff, PLVs and litigants, making it a holistic initiative combining legal empowerment with healthcare outreach.
With the successful conduct of the 4th National Lok Adalat, DLSA Reasi, under the leadership of Chairman Khalil Ahmad Choudhary, once again demonstrated its commitment to delivering swift, accessible and compassionate justice to the people of the district.
