Lok Adalats conducted across the State on specific subject matters, such as intellectual property rights, consumer cases and other matters pending before quasi judicial authorities, ended up settling 3,949 cases (including 2,697 pending matters and 1,252 pre litigation matters) and awarding ₹131.96 crore.
According to a press communique issued by Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority (TNSLSA), four Lok Adalat benches were constituted in the principal seat of the Madras High Court in Chennai, three at its Madurai Bench and 149 benches by the district as well as taluk legal services committees in the State.
Madras High Court Chief Justice S.V. Gangapurwala, who is also the patron-in-chief of TNSLSA as well as Justice S. Vaidyanathan, the senior most judge of the High Court and Executive Chairman of TNSLSA, inspected the Lok Adalat proceedings at the High Court in Chennai and handed over the award amount to beneficiaries.
They were accompanied by High Court Legal Services Committee (HCLSC) chairman Justice D. Krishnakumar and its members Justices S.M. Subramaniam and N. Sathish Kumar. Justices D. Bharatha Chakravarthy, P.B. Balaji, R. Kalaimathi and K. Govindarajan Thilakavadi presided over the four Lok Adalat benches in Chennai.
Justices L. Victoria Gowri, K.K. Ramakrishnan and S. Ananthi presided over the benches in the Madurai Bench. The seven benches in the High Court settled 81 cases (65 in Chennai and 16 in Madurai) and awarded ₹10.06 crore (₹7.79 crore in Chennai and ₹2.27 crore in Madurai), according to HCLSC secretary K. Sudha.
