Bandipora, March 14: The District Legal Services Authority Bandipora on Saturday organised the first National Lok Adalat of 2026 in the district, disposing of 1,834 cases through amicable settlement.
The Lok Adalat was conducted under the aegis of the National Legal Services Authority and the Jammu and Kashmir Legal Services Authority. It was held under the supervision of Jeema Bashir, who also serves as Chairperson of DLSA Bandipora, and under the guidance of Sheikh Babar Hussain.
The event was formally inaugurated by Jeema Bashir in the presence of judicial officers, including Iqbal Ahmad Akhoon, Amandeep Singh and Mehak Mehboob. Members of the District Bar Association Bandipora, Legal Aid Defence Counsels, panel lawyers, Para Legal Volunteers and litigants also attended the programme.
For the disposal of cases, ten benches were constituted comprising judicial officers and officials from various departments. The benches included judicial officers along with representatives from revenue, labour, transport and municipal departments.
According to officials, a total of 2,372 cases were taken up during the Lok Adalat, of which 1,834 were settled amicably. The settlements resulted in a total amount of ₹1,14,07,891.
For the smooth conduct of the Lok Adalat, a total of ten benches were constituted across the district.
The First Bench was presided over by Mir Wajahat, Additional District Judge Bandipora, with Bilal Ahmad Bhat, Chief LADC, DLSA Bandipora, as Member.
The Second Bench was headed by Iqbal Ahmad Akhoon, Chief Judicial Magistrate Bandipora, with Iqbal Rubbani, Deputy LADC Bandipora, as Member.
The Third Bench was presided over by Amandeep Singh, Munsiff/JMIC Bandipora, with Javaid Iqbal, Assistant LADC Bandipora, as Member, while the Fourth Bench was headed by Mehak Mehboob, Additional Special Mobile Magistrate Bandipora, with Toiba Tabasum, Deputy LADC Bandipora, as Member.
Similarly, the Fifth Bench was presided over by Rahila Rashid, Munsiff/JMIC Sumbal, with Tasleema Jan, Panel Lawyer TLSC Sumbal, as Member.
The Sixth Bench was headed by Zaffar Husson Shawl, Additional Deputy Commissioner Bandipora, with Shabir Ahmad Wani, Assistant Commissioner Revenue Bandipora, as Member.
The Seventh Bench was presided over by Rabia Mir, Assistant Labour Commissioner Bandipora, with Abid Ahmad Naik, Labour Officer Bandipora, as Member.
The Eighth Bench was headed by Mukhtar Ahmad Sofi, ARTO Bandipora, with Lateef Ahmad Wani, Inspector Bandipora, as Member.
The Ninth Bench was presided over by Firdous Ahmad, Tehsildar and Executive Magistrate 1st Class Bandipora, with the Naib Tehsildar Bandipora as Member, while the Tenth Bench was headed by Aijaz Ahmad, Chief Executive Officer Municipal Council Bandipora, with the Secretary Municipal Council Bandipora as Member.
Officials said the matters resolved during the Lok Adalat included matrimonial disputes, cases under the Negotiable Instruments Act, civil matters, compoundable criminal cases, bank recovery matters and various pre-litigation disputes.
Officials said the Lok Adalat provided an alternative platform for parties to resolve disputes through mutual consent, reducing litigation time and easing the burden on regular courts.
The District Legal Services Authority stated that the initiative helped promote access to justice by facilitating speedy and conciliatory resolution of disputes while also reducing the pendency of cases in courts.
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