Jaipur: The Lok Adalat organised at the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) in Jaipur Friday witnessed massive overcrowding and chaotic arrangements as more than 2,000 litigants, advocates, recovery agents, and bank officials gathered to settle pending loan recovery disputes.Despite the logistical challenges and congestion, around 450 cases were amicably resolved during the proceedings, including one of the biggest settlements of the day involving the Bank of Maharashtra. Officials said a major recovery dispute of around ₹3.14 crore involving the Bank of Maharashtra was settled for nearly ₹2.50 crore through mutual consent between the parties during the Lok Adalat.The unprecedented turnout led to severe crowding inside and outside the tribunal premises situated at Lal Kothi, prompting demands for shifting future Lok Adalats to a larger venue with better infrastructure and parking facilities.“Very poor arrangement. They should have had a more spacious venue,” said Gurbachan Singh, a litigant from Sriganganagar.Participants complained of inadequate seating arrangements and cramped waiting areas, making movement difficult within the tribunal complex. Parking chaos in the surrounding locality further worsened the situation, with vehicles lined up along nearby roads leading to traffic congestion for several hours.Heated verbal exchanges were reported at certain counters as litigants and representatives struggled to access settlement desks and documentation facilities amid the heavy rush.DRT presiding officer Vimal Gupta said the overwhelming participation reflected increasing confidence among litigants in Lok Adalats as an effective mechanism for dispute resolution. “The response of the litigants was very good. Looking at the participation, in future we may look for some other area with better facilities to organise such programmes,” Gupta said.
