Lok Sabha Question No. 3585 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-21
Subject: National Lok Adalat
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Shri Dushyant Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3585

TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY - 21/03/2025

## NATIONAL LOK ADALAT

3585. SHRI DUSHYANT SINGH:

Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the public response towards the National Lok Adalat initiative;
- (b) whether the said initiative had a measurable impact on reducing case backlogs in the judiciary, if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the details of additional reforms being considered to further enhance the efficiency and outreach of the Lok Adalat system?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS

(SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)

- (a): Lok Adalats are organized by Legal Services Institutions at such intervals as it deems fit, in order to reduce the pendency of cases in courts and also to settle the disputes at prelitigation stage. Lok Adalats are one of the effective modes of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism in reducing the burden on the courts, which have received positive response from the public. There are three types of Lok Adalats namely State Lok Adalats, National Lok Adalats and Permanent Lok Adalats, as per the following details:
- i. State Lok Adalats are organized by the Legal Services Authorities/Committees as per the local conditions and needs, for settlement of both pre-litigation and post-litigation cases.
- ii. National Lok Adalats are conducted quarterly for settlement of cases (both pre-litigation and post-litigation) in all the courts from the Supreme Court of India to the Taluk Courts on a single day. Every year, National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) issues calendar for organising National Lok Adalats.

During the year 2025, National Lok Adalat was held on 8 th March. National Lok Adalats are further scheduled to be held on 10 th May, 13 th September and 13 th December of 2025.

- iii. Permanent Lok Adalats are permanent establishments set up in most of the Districts to provide compulsory pre-litigative mechanism for settlement of disputes related to Public Utility Services.
2. (b): The National and State Lok Adalats are not a permanent establishment and handle pending court cases as referred to it by the respective courts. Since these Lok Adalats are not permanent in nature, all unsettled cases, are reverted to the respective courts and hence do not remain pending with these Lok Adalats. The details of the number of cases disposed of by the Lok Adalats during the last two years and current year (upto December) are as follows:

## (i) National Lok Adalat

|   Year | Total cases settled (both pre-litigative and pending cases)   |
|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|   2022 | 4,19,26,010                                                   |
|   2023 | 8,53,42,217                                                   |
|   2024 | 10,45,26,119                                                  |

## (ii) State Lok Adalat

| Year    | Total cases settled (both pre-litigative and pending cases)   |
|---------|---------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2022-23 | 8,51,309                                                      |
| 2023-24 | 12,07,103                                                     |
| 2024-25 | 12,08,227                                                     |

## (iii) Permanent Lok Adalat (Public Utility Services)

| Year    | Total cases settled   |
|---------|-----------------------|
| 2022-23 | 1,71,138              |
| 2023-24 | 2,32,763              |
| 2024-25 | 1,61,277              |

- (c): To improve the efficiency and accessibility of Lok Adalats, E-Lok Adalat was conceptualized during Covid which significantly improved access to justice for people who were otherwise unable to participate in the Lok Adalats. The first E-Lok Adalat was held on 27.06.2020 and since then E-Lok Adalats have been organized in 28 States / UTs, wherein 10.30 crore cases were taken up out of which 1.15 crore cases were disposed of.

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