Patiala: A National Lok Adalat held in Patiala on Saturday settled 26,134 out of 31,679 cases through mutual compromise, resolving financial disputes and settlements totaling over ₹46 crore.Justice Alka Sarin of the Punjab and Haryana high court, who serves as the inspecting judge for Patiala district courts, inspected the proceedings. Accompanied by district and sessions judge Avatar Singh and DLSA secretary Shilpi Gupta, Justice Sarin visited various benches to interact with litigants and encourage amicable resolutions.The resolved cases included 98 pending family disputes before family courts and 168 cheque-bounce cases involving ₹6,62,99,741. Non-compoundable criminal cases were excluded from the proceedings.Organised under the directions of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), 17 judicial benches were set up across the district. These comprised 11 benches in Patiala, two each in Rajpura, Nabha, and Samana, alongside a dedicated revenue court bench in Patiala to handle land mutations and partitions.Visiting the family court, Justice Sarin urged couples to make sincere reconciliation efforts in the larger interest of their families and children, highlighting the role of lok adalats in providing speedy, accessible justice.District and sessions judge Avatar Singh noted that the primary objective was to save litigants time and money. He emphasised that Lok Adalat awards are final with no provision for appeal, court fees are refunded, and disputes are permanently resolved on mutually agreed terms.
