KOCHI: Statistics show that there is an increase in the positive attitude among people towards Alternative Dispute Redressal, said Kerala State Legal Service Authority (KELSA) executive chairman Justice Thottathil B Radhakrishnan.
Speaking at a press conference here on Monday, the Justice said that the KELSA successfully settled 4,818 disputes at the national Lok Adalat held on February 14, before they reached the court. “The number of cases considered was 5,493, and disputes of over 43.45 crore were settled in the pre-litigation stage itself. The people have started understanding the benefits of settling disputes out of the court. The Lok Adalat will be conducted every month,” he said.
“Another major decision is to conduct Adalats every month exclusively for a particular category. At the Adalat held on February 14, disputes under Section-138 (dishonour a cheque) of the NI Act, and bank matters were considered. In March, the Adalat will consider disputes pertaining to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Grantee Act (MNREGA) and land acquisition cases, while labour and family related matters will be settled in another Adalat,” he said.
“Following the KELSA’s intervention , the Central Government had allotted Rs 424 Crore to be distributed among labourers who worked under the MNRGEA. Claims on distribution of the amount will be considered at next month’s Adalat,” he added.