Nagpur: Sixty-seven cases were settled at the National Lok Adalat held at Nagpur bench of Bombay high court on Saturday, with the total settlement value reaching 83.5 crore, according to High Court Legal Services Sub-Committee.A total of 265 matters were listed, including motor accident claim petitions, land acquisition appeals and arbitration appeals. In matters concerning National Highway (NHAI) projects, compensation of 13.52 crore was awarded to claimants.National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), in collaboration with High Court Legal Services Sub-Committee, Nagpur, organised the Lok Adalat as part of efforts to facilitate speedy and amicable resolution of disputes through alternative dispute resolution. The panels were headed by Nagpur bench of Bombay HC Justices YG Khobragade and Mehroz Pathan.NHAI officials, including the project director, participated in the proceedings along with representatives of insurance companies.Several lawyers also assisted in proceedings and in facilitating settlements. They included Anish Kathane, Nakshane, PS Mirache, Kunal Mirache, Mrunal Naik, Sweety Bhatia, CA Anthony, Anita Mategaonkar, Hitesh Varma and DN Kukday.Students of National Law University, Nagpur, attended the proceedings to gain practical exposure to Lok Adalat proceedings, dispute-resolution mechanisms and the process of facilitating settlements. They also interacted with the panel heads and members.Nagpur HC Bench Registrar (Administration) Bhushan Kshirsagar guided the participating students. Sunil Hake, secretary of High Court Legal Services Sub-Committee, thanked all stakeholders who participated in the Lok Adalat. “The exercise highlighted the role of Lok Adalats in reducing pendency, facilitating speedy resolution, providing timely relief to litigants and bringing closure to long-pending matters through amicable settlements,” he said.
