Hyderabad: A National Lok Adalat was held on Saturday across Telangana where 11.08 lakh cases were resolved. This included 3.63 lakh pre-litigation cases and 7.43 lakh cases that were pending in the courts.

According to Telangana State Legal Services Authority Member Secretary CH Panchakshari, the settlement of these cases led to orders for compensation payments amounting to Rs. 595 crore. A notable case highlighted in the report was a road accident where the tribunal announced a compensation of Rs. 98.30 lakh, which was then settled for Rs. 1.20 crore with 8% interest by New India Assurance Company.

The beneficiary was Pawan Kumar, a B.Tech student, who received this assistance nine years after the accident.

Benefits of Lok Adalats:

•No court fees: This makes the legal process accessible to all. If a case is already pending in a regular court and is settled at a Lok Adalat, the court fees paid are refunded.

•Fast and flexible: The process is informal and not bound by strict procedural laws like the Civil Procedure Code and the Indian Evidence Act, leading to quick resolutions.

•Binding awards: The decision is final and cannot be challenged in a higher court, which prevents further delays and litigation.

•Reduces burden on courts: By resolving a large number of pending and pre-litigation cases, Lok Adalats help reduce the workload on the conventional judicial system.