Ranchi: The Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority (Jhalsa) has launched an initiative to promote litigation-free villages through a community mediation programme in rural areas, beginning with a pilot project across five districts. Under the plan, five villages each in Ranchi, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Dumka, and Jamtara have been selected, with the programme to be expanded after its success, officials said on Saturday.The scheme, being implemented on the direction of the National Legal Services Authority, aims to settle minor and compoundable disputes at the village level before they reach courts. A panel of three mediators would be constituted in each selected village to deal with petty fights, marital disputes at initial stages, land disputes and similar matters, a Jhalsa official said.As part of the initiative, a three-day training programme for 75 prospective mediators from the 25 villages began in their respective districts on Saturday. The mediators were chosen from among villagers known for public connect, good moral background and no criminal antecedent, officials said.In Ranchi, the training was held on the civil court campus. Addressing the inaugural session, judicial commissioner AK Mishra described the programme as a revolutionary step towards reducing litigation and promoting brotherhood in rural areas. He said resolving disputes in a harmonious environment at the village level would help prevent cases from reaching the courts.Former judicial officer Prem Prakash Pandey, advocate Manisha Rani, and others briefed participants on basic laws, community mediation, conflict management, reasons for common disputes, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, mediation, arbitration and lok adalats. Authorities believe the model, if successful in the pilot villages, can create a grassroots mechanism for early dispute settlement across the state.
