National Lok Adalat on March 14 to settle over 3,000 cases in Dakshina Kannada

National Lok Adalat on March 14 to settle over 3,000 cases in Dakshina Kannada

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Mar 10, 2026: The National Lok Adalat will be held across Dakshina Kannada district on March 14 with the aim of resolving disputes quickly and amicably.

Principal District and Sessions Judge and Chairman of the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) Basavaraj has appealed to the public to make use of the opportunity to settle disputes through mutual consent and avoid prolonged litigation.

Addressing mediapersons in Mangaluru, he said the Lok Adalat provides a platform for the speedy resolution of various cases, including compensation claims, motor vehicle accident cases, cheque bounce cases, civil disputes such as matrimonial and property-related matters, bank loan recovery cases, illegal sand mining cases, labour and land acquisition compensation matters, and cases related to birth certificates. Pre-litigation disputes involving electricity and water bills, property tax, rental agreements, insurance claims and pension-related issues will also be taken up.

Judge Basavaraj said that as of February 1, a total of 54,677 cases are pending in Dakshina Kannada district courts. Of these, around 3,000 cases have been identified as suitable for settlement through the National Lok Adalat. So far, 220 cases have already been disposed of.

He also said that 931 cases have been referred to Mediation Drive 2.0, which has been underway since January 2. Out of these, 126 cases have already been settled. A total of 79 mediators have been appointed in the district to facilitate the process.

According to him, the majority of cases referred to the Lok Adalat involve cheque bounce matters and motor vehicle accident claims. Members of the public whose cases are pending before the High Court may approach the mediation centres located at the High Court premises in Bengaluru, Dharwad and Kalaburagi for further details.

The judge noted that when a case pending before a court is settled through Lok Adalat, the court fee originally paid by the parties will be refunded. The settlement reached in the Lok Adalat is final and cannot be appealed.

Referring to the previous Lok Adalat held on December 13, 2025, he said that a total of 3,499 cases were disposed of, with settlements amounting to ₹32.54 crore. Additionally, 2,94,167 pre-litigation cases related to property tax, traffic violation fines and other matters were resolved, resulting in the recovery of ₹102.94 crore.

Courts in new taluks

Responding to a query on setting up courts in newly carved taluks, Judge Basavaraj said that land is being identified in Mulki and Ullal for establishing courts, while land has already been identified in Kadaba taluk.

He added that pendency of cases will reduce once all courts in the district are staffed with magistrates. Currently, magistrate posts in eight JMFC courts, including six in Mangaluru, remain vacant. Sources said the posts are likely to be filled during the transfer process in April.