Lok Sabha Question No. 2021 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-08-02
Subject: Lok Adalats
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Shri Selvam G, Dr. Nishikant Dubey, Dr. Thirumaavalavan Tholkappiyan, Shri C N Annadurai, Dr. D Ravi Kumar

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-2021

TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY - 02/08/2024

## LOK ADALATS

## 2021.  DR. D RAVI KUMAR:

DR. THIRUMAAVALAVAN THOLKAPPIYAN:

SHRI SELVAM G:

DR. NISHIKANT DUBEY:

SHRI C N ANNADURAI:

Will the Minister of Law and Justice be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of various Lok Adalats organized in the rural areas of the country during the last three years and the current year, State and location-wise especially Tamil Nadu;
- (b) the  number  of  cases  disposed  and  number  of  cases  pending  in  various  Lok  Adalats during the said period;
- (c) whether the Government has been able to achieve the target of disposal of cases filed in various  Lok  Adalats  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the  reasons  therefor alongwith the corrective action taken in this regard;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  provided  funds  to  State  Legal  Services  Authorities  to enhance legal aid to the marginalized sections of SC/ST and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) the other steps taken by the Government to organize such Adalats more frequently to bring about the early disposal of pending cases; and
- (f) the number of Lok Adalats proposed to be organized during the ensuing year along with the steps taken to make Lok Adalats more effective?

## 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)  to  (c)  State/UT-wise  and  year-wise  details  of  number  of  Lok  Adalats  organized  and  cases disposed of by National Lok Adalats, State Lok Adalats and Permanent Lok Adalats (Public Utility Services) during the last three years and the current year is at Annexure-A, AnnexureB and Annexure-C respectively.

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 pre-litigation stage. Lok Adalats are not a permanent establishment and handle pending court cases as referred to it by the respective courts. Since Lok Adalats are not permanent in nature, all unsettled cases, are reverted back to the respective courts and hence do not remain pending with Lok Adalats. It is  mentioned that  no  specific  disposal  target  is  fixed  prior  to  organization  of  any  type  of  Lok Adalat.

- (d)  The Government has released the following grant-in-aid to National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) during the last three years and the current year (till July, 2024) for implementing legal aid programmes through State Legal Services Authorities:

(Rs. In Crore)

| Year    |   Funds Released |
|---------|------------------|
| 2021-22 |              145 |
| 2022-23 |              190 |
| 2023-24 |              400 |
| 2024-25 |               83 |
| Total   |              818 |

- (e)    The  State  Legal  Services  Authorities  have  been  issued  guidelines/  directions  by  National Legal  Services  Authority  (NALSA)  vide  National  Legal  Services  Authority  (Lok  Adalat) Regulations, 2009 to organise more Lok Adalats so that pendency of cases could be reduced. Further in view of Covid, E-Lok Adalat was conceptualized 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 902.96 lakh cases were taken up out of which 96.90 lakh cases were disposed of.
- (f)    Every year, NALSA issues calendar for organising National Lok Adalats. During the year 2024, National Lok Adalats were held on 9 th March & 11 th May. National Lok Adalats are further scheduled to be held on 14 th September & 14 th December of 2024. State Lok Adalats are organised by State Legal Services Authorities as per the local conditions and needs.

*****

## Annexure-A

Statement as referred to in reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2021 for answering on 02.08.2024 raised by Dr. D Ravi Kumar, Dr. Thirumaavalavan Tholkappiyan, Shri Selvam G, Dr. Nishikant Dubey and Shri C N Annadurai, MPs - Lok Adalats

|   S.No. | Name of the State/UT Authority   | 2021    | 2022 Cases disposed   |     2023 |     2024 |
|---------|----------------------------------|---------|-----------------------|----------|----------|
|       1 | Andaman& Nicobar Islands         | of 3997 | of 3310               |     1536 |     1536 |
|       2 | Andhra Pradesh                   | 122839  | 647956                |   671612 |    55729 |
|       3 | Arunachal Pradesh                | 1054    | 1071                  |      990 |      445 |
|       4 | Assam                            | 39642   | 113989                |   164445 |    77724 |
|       5 | Bihar                            | 151620  | 305483                |   357765 |    99758 |
|       6 | Chandigarh                       | 16833   | 15569                 |    63764 |    14811 |
|       7 | Chhattisgarh                     | 134548  | 1125318               |  1664237 |   642364 |
|       8 | Dadra &Nagar Haveli              | 172     | 1323                  |      982 |       45 |
|       9 | Daman &Diu                       | 113     | 215                   |    19650 |     1158 |
|      10 | Delhi                            | 154992  | 535025                |   671278 |   344040 |
|      11 | Goa                              | 1680    | 3934                  |     3505 |     1781 |
|      12 | Gujarat                          | 748722  | 1185571               |  1863177 |  1040081 |
|      13 | Haryana                          | 123413  | 673487                |   985650 |   535751 |
|      14 | Himachal Pradesh                 | 35556   | 111150                |   150181 |    63587 |
|      15 | Jammu &Kashmir                   | 166544  | 390496                |   404665 |   265955 |
|      16 | Jharkhand                        | 232473  | 1121405               |  2822947 |   961313 |
|      17 | Karnataka                        | 1277856 | 3444607               | 14840452 |  2900312 |
|      18 | Kerala                           | 68681   | 136101                |    57726 |    25630 |
|      19 | Ladakh                           | 1463    | 1444                  |     1781 |      737 |
|      20 | Lakshadweep                      | 7       | 129                   |       41 |       27 |
|      21 | Madhya Pradesh                   | 347333  | 419776                |   536105 |   213666 |
|      22 | Maharashtra                      | 2440375 | 4754239               |  3543736 |  1245202 |
|      23 | Manipur                          | 794     | 1343                  |      437 |      410 |
|      24 | Meghalaya                        | 852     | 956                   |      680 |      464 |
|      25 | Mizoram                          | 790     | 4432                  |     4087 |      599 |
|      26 | Nagaland                         | 941     | 888                   |      801 |      401 |
|      27 | Odisha                           | 35557   | 337065                |   348288 |   297959 |
|      28 | Puducherry                       | 5084    | 6405                  |     6297 |     2242 |
|      29 | Punjab                           | 138175  | 392256                |   760712 |   512269 |
|      30 | Rajasthan                        | 286834  | 4572315               | 16586071 |  2475175 |
|      31 | Sikkim                           | 110     | 232                   |      126 |       22 |
|      32 | Tamil Nadu                       | 191604  | 447536                |   355762 |   160786 |
|      33 | Telangana                        | 349902  | 1611677               |  5591849 | 12159965 |

| 34   | Tripura       |     1070 |     4814 |    15724 |    20191 |
|------|---------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
| 35   | Uttar Pradesh |  5551793 | 18698973 | 31644594 |  9483008 |
| 36   | Uttarakhand   |    20882 |    67438 |    85032 |    35127 |
| 37   | West Bengal   |   133736 |   788082 |  1115532 |   723129 |
|      | Grand Total   | 12788037 | 41926010 | 85342217 | 34363399 |

## Annexure-B

Statement  as  referred  to  in  reply  to  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Question  No.  2021  for  answering  on  02.08.2024 raised by Dr. D Ravi Kumar, Dr. Thirumaavalavan Tholkappiyan, Shri Selvam G, Dr. Nishikant Dubey and Shri C N Annadurai, MPs - Lok Adalats

Statement containing the information of  cases disposed of (both Pre-litigative and Pending cases) in the State Lok Adalats and benches constituted during the last three years and the current year viz.  2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 (upto June, 2024).

| S.No.   | Name of the State/UT Authority   | 2021-22                     | 2021-22            | 2022-23                     | 2022-23           | 2023-24                      | 2023-24            | 2024-25                     | 2024-25            |
|---------|----------------------------------|-----------------------------|--------------------|-----------------------------|-------------------|------------------------------|--------------------|-----------------------------|--------------------|
| S.No.   | Name of the State/UT Authority   | No. of Benches constitu ted | Cases Dispose d of | No. of Benches constitu ted | Cases Disposed of | No. of Benche s constitu ted | Cases Dispose d of | No. of Benches constitu ted | Cases Dispose d of |
| 1       | Andaman& Nicobar Islands         | 0                           | 0                  | 0                           | 0                 | 0                            | 0                  | 0                           | 0                  |
| 2       | Andhra Pradesh                   | 4874                        | 12123              | 4999                        | 6720              | 80                           | 1825               | 0                           | 0                  |
| 3       | Arunachal Pradesh                | 24                          | 91                 | 1                           | 4                 | 0                            | 0                  | 0                           | 0                  |
| 4       | Assam                            | 136                         | 13672              | 0                           | 0                 | 0                            | 0                  | 0                           | 0                  |
| 5       | Bihar                            | 1                           | 6                  | 9                           | 574               | 0                            | 0                  | 0                           | 0                  |
| 6       | Chandigarh                       | 69                          | 37                 | 30                          | 538               | 32                           | 1413               | 0                           | 0                  |
| 7       | Chhattisgarh                     | 187                         | 228                | 124                         | 139               | 0                            | 0                  | 0                           | 0                  |
| 8       | Dadra &Nagar Haveli              | 0                           | 0                  | 0                           | 0                 | 0                            | 0                  | 0                           | 0                  |
| 9       | Daman &Diu                       | 0                           | 0                  | 0                           | 0                 | 0                            | 0                  | 0                           | 0                  |
| 10      | Delhi                            | 250                         | 147103             | 60                          | 11094             | 198                          | 123151             | 0                           | 0                  |
| 11      | Goa                              | 30                          | 3209               | 43                          | 1308              | 13                           | 245                | 1                           | 0                  |
| 12      | Gujarat                          | 5157                        | 15546              | 3805                        | 19717             | 12                           | 244                | 762                         | 3994               |
| 13      | Haryana                          | 54762                       | 115797             | 43135                       | 230018            | 92                           | 29196              | 0                           | 0                  |
| 14      | Himachal Pradesh                 | 260                         | 22031              | 142                         | 4198              | 59                           | 2880               | 14                          | 727                |
| 15      | Jammu& Kashmir                   | 24                          | 3271               | 225                         | 76683             | 134                          | 28170              | 65                          | 25869              |
| 16      | Jharkhand                        | 1310                        | 22954              | 1523                        | 10868             | 1495                         | 33718              | 418                         | 652058             |
| 17      | Karnataka                        | 412                         | 2524               | 229                         | 2632              | 0                            | 0                  | 0                           | 0                  |
| 18      | Kerala                           | 302                         | 19226              | 607                         | 23246             | 657                          | 26231              | 12                          | 134                |
| 19      | Ladakh                           | 4                           | 32                 | 4                           | 240               | 0                            | 0                  | 0                           | 0                  |
| 20      | Lakshadweep                      | 0                           | 0                  | 3                           | 3                 | 1                            | 1                  | 0                           | 0                  |
| 21      | Madhya Pradesh                   | 808                         | 4110               | 1242                        | 5367              | 1472                         | 48996              | 351                         | 787                |
| 22      | Maharashtra                      | 6                           | 28                 | 30                          | 341               | 38                           | 580                | 0                           | 0                  |
| 23      | Manipur                          | 0                           | 0                  | 4                           | 43                | 0                            | 0                  | 0                           | 0                  |
| 24      | Meghalaya                        | 23                          | 89                 | 0                           | 0                 | 0                            | 0                  | 0                           | 0                  |
| 25      | Mizoram                          | 17                          | 204                | 41                          | 1202              | 12                           | 94                 | 16                          | 173                |
| 26      | Nagaland                         | 0                           | 0                  | 0                           | 0                 | 0                            | 0                  | 0                           | 0                  |
| 27      | Odisha                           | 12                          | 326                | 6                           | 112422            | 3                            | 244230             | 0                           | 0                  |
| 28      | Puducherry                       | 42                          | 262                | 47                          | 743               | 38                           | 492                | 1                           | 12                 |
| 29      | Punjab                           | 339                         | 1108               | 6                           | 15                | 154                          | 2268               | 0                           | 0                  |

| 30   | Rajasthan     |   786 |    845 |   1202 |   1628 |   1086 |    1039 |   285 |    335 |
|------|---------------|-------|--------|--------|--------|--------|---------|-------|--------|
| 31   | Sikkim        |   110 |    636 |    150 |    887 |    143 |     784 |    39 |    118 |
| 32   | Tamil Nadu    |   759 |  13066 |   1295 |  16369 |   1336 |   34744 |   173 |   1756 |
| 33   | Telangana     |  2827 |   7363 |   2604 |  25365 |   2474 |  171817 |   648 |   9462 |
| 34   | Tripura       |    93 |  11624 |     19 |   2492 |     62 |   25637 |     0 |      0 |
| 35   | Uttar Pradesh |    57 |  31414 |     30 | 259125 |    172 |  411941 |    74 |   1096 |
| 36   | Uttarakhand   |    25 |   8605 |    125 |  26498 |    102 |   17407 |    20 |   1954 |
| 37   | West Bengal   |   774 |  74999 |    454 |  10830 |      0 |       0 |     0 |      0 |
|      | Grand Total   | 74480 | 532529 |  62194 | 851309 |   9865 | 1207103 |  2879 | 698475 |

## Annexure-C

Statement as referred to in reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2021 for answering on 02.08.2024 raised by Dr. D Ravi Kumar, Dr. Thirumaavalavan Tholkappiyan, Shri Selvam G, Dr. Nishikant Dubey and Shri C N Annadurai, MPs - Lok Adalats

Statement  containing  the  information  of  number  of  sittings  of  Permanent  Lok  Adalats  (Public  Utility Services) and cases settled in these sittings during the last three years and current year viz.  2021-22, 202223, 2023-24  and 2024-25 (upto June, 2024).

| S. No   | Name of the State/UT Authority   | 2021-22                 | 2021-22                       | 2022-23                 | 2022-23                       | 2023-24                 | 2023-24                       | 2024-25                 | 2024-25                       |
|---------|----------------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------------|
|         |                                  | Sitting During the year | Cases settled during the year | Sitting During the year | Cases settled during the year | Sitting During the year | Cases settled during the year | Sitting During the year | Cases settled during the year |
| 1       | Andaman& Nicobar Islands         | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             |
| 2       | Andhra Pradesh                   | 927                     | 1406                          | 1058                    | 558                           | 1349                    | 1134                          | 350                     | 399                           |
| 3       | Arunachal Pradesh                | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             |
| 4       | Assam                            | 141                     | 56                            | 213                     | 56                            | 195                     | 97                            | 34                      | 6                             |
| 5       | Bihar                            | 482                     | 221                           | 313                     | 157                           | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             |
| 6       | Chandigarh                       | 240                     | 687                           | 241                     | 10945                         | 239                     | 11511                         | 60                      | 1761                          |
| 7       | Chhattisgarh                     | 1045                    | 1199                          | 1224                    | 2028                          | 1174                    | 6749                          | 279                     | 63                            |
| 8       | Dadra &Nagar Haveli              | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             |
| 9       | Daman &Diu                       | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             |
| 10      | Delhi                            | 791                     | 17395                         | 773                     | 18682                         | 781                     | 19337                         | 205                     | 4805                          |
| 11      | Goa                              | 2                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             | 1                       | 20                            |
| 12      | Gujarat                          | 9                       | 2238                          | 1                       | 8                             | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             |
| 13      | Haryana                          | 3547                    | 30960                         | 3416                    | 72440                         | 3659                    | 107362                        | 911                     | 17126                         |
| 14      | Himachal Pradesh                 | 9                       | 11                            | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             |
| 15      | Jammu& Kashmir                   | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             |
| 16      | Jharkhand                        | 5144                    | 32514                         | 6216                    | 26154                         | 5826                    | 35715                         | 1625                    | 3822                          |
| 17      | Karnataka                        | 1292                    | 5371                          | 904                     | 4588                          | 603                     | 4190                          | 249                     | 485                           |
| 18      | Kerala                           | 212                     | 1104                          | 226                     | 2564                          | 415                     | 1527                          | 121                     | 81                            |
| 19      | Ladakh                           | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             |
| 20      | Lakshadweep                      | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             |
| 21      | Madhya Pradesh                   | 886                     | 574                           | 1176                    | 608                           | 1071                    | 409                           | 213                     | 67                            |
| 22      | Maharashtra                      | 918                     | 765                           | 1017                    | 1208                          | 1023                    | 485                           | 240                     | 260                           |
| 23      | Manipur                          | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             |
| 24      | Meghalaya                        | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             |
| 25      | Mizoram                          | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             |
| 26      | Nagaland                         | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             | 0                       | 0                             |
| 27      | Odisha                           | 742                     | 1561                          | 753                     | 1612                          | 1041                    | 1891                          | 308                     | 446                           |

| 28   | Puducherry    |     0 |      0 |     0 |      0 |     0 |      0 |    0 |     0 |
|------|---------------|-------|--------|-------|--------|-------|--------|------|-------|
| 29   | Punjab        |  4538 |   9967 |  4902 |  14545 |  4969 |  20279 | 1263 |  4311 |
| 30   | Rajasthan     |  2960 |   3228 |  4435 |   5072 |  4230 |   5799 | 1276 |  1083 |
| 31   | Sikkim        |     0 |      0 |     0 |      0 |     0 |      0 |    0 |     0 |
| 32   | Tamil Nadu    |   671 |    272 |  1121 |    528 |  1119 |    427 |  268 |    89 |
| 33   | Telangana     |   108 |   6674 |   118 |   7540 |   104 |  12746 |   18 |  4405 |
| 34   | Tripura       |    44 |     81 |    70 |    162 |    97 |    157 |   34 |    15 |
| 35   | Uttar Pradesh |  3961 |   1087 |  3720 |   1173 |  4476 |   2516 | 1017 |   366 |
| 36   | Uttarakhand   |   484 |    765 |   590 |    510 |   649 |    432 |  187 |   104 |
| 37   | West Bengal   |     0 |      0 |     0 |      0 |     0 |      0 |    0 |     0 |
|      | Grand Total   | 29153 | 118136 | 32487 | 171138 | 33020 | 232763 | 8659 | 39714 |