Over 8 lakh cases resolved amicably through Lok Adalat in Gujarat with awards amounting to over rupees 1626 crores
Speedy disposal of old and pending cases through Lok Adalat boosts the justice delivery system
The Third National Lok Adalat of the year 2025 was successfully organized across the entire state of Gujarat on 13th September, 2025 under the aegis of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and the Gujarat State Legal Services Authority (GSLSA). The Lok Adalat witnessed overwhelming success throughout the state. Hon’ble Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court and Patron-in-Chief of GSLSA, Justice Sunita Agarwal, along with Senior Most Judge of the Gujarat High Court, Justice A.Y. Kogje, provided detailed guidance to all District Legal Services Authorities and Taluka Legal Services Committees to ensure that maximum parties could benefit from the Lok Adalat. In this Lok Adalat, as many as 13,67,485 pending cases across the state were taken up for settlement, including Motor Accident Compensation Claims, Civil Suits, Cheque Bounce cases under the Negotiable Instruments Act, Matrimonial Disputes, Industrial Disputes and other matters. Out of these, 8,28,556 cases were successfully disposed of and awards worth rupees 1626.56 Crores were passed. In addition, 4,25,754 pre-litigation cases were settled with a total settlement amount of rupees 80.99 Crores. A total of 3,79,945 Traffic E-Challan cases were disposed of, leading to recovery of rupees 24.81 Crores. The Lok Adalat also brought an end to 3,471 matrimonial disputes pending in courts across the state. A total of 4,02,802 pending cases in various courts of Gujarat were disposed of in Lok Adalat and Special Sittings, with settlement awards amounting to rupees 1545.57 Crores. Under the able leadership of the Hon’ble Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court, Conciliation arrangements were made in all District Courts, which led to the disposal of 790 ten-year-old cases. Furthermore, in line with the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, all courts of Gujarat identified their oldest pending matters as Targeted Cases, out of which 5,638 cases were successfully settled in this Lok Adalat. The success of this Lok Adalat reflects the growing acceptance of Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms in Gujarat, ensuring speedy, amicable and cost-effective settlement of disputes while strengthening the justice delivery system of the state.
The Surat district Legal Service Authority, demonstrating exceptional efficiency, led the state in resolving a total of 95369 cases in the 3rd National Lok Adalat 2025. This remarkable feat was accomplished in all courts of Surat district, marking a significant milestone in the legal landscape of Surat.
Under the auspices of the National Legal Services Authority, Supreme Court of India, and the Gujarat State Legal Services Authority, the 3rd National Lok Adalat in Surat addressed a diverse range of cases. These included criminal compoundable cases, section 138 of the Negotiable Instrument Act, Bank Recovery Cases, Motor Accident Cases, Labour Dispute cases, Water and Electricity Bill cases, Matrimonial Cases, Revenue Cases, and Civil Cases, among others.
President of Surat District Bar Association Brijesh Patel, City Bar Association Nilkhant Barot, several other advocates, litigants have participated in the event.
Lok Adalat was held across 29 States and 8 Union Territories.
Types of disputes covered included:
Pre-litigation and pending civil disputes
Criminal compoundable cases
Motor accident claims, cheque dishonour cases, bank recovery, etc.
Number of cases resolved 2,42,55,036 cases
Of those, pre-litigation matters 2,10,44,809
Pending court cases resolved 32,10,227
Monetary value of settlements / awards More than ₹7,817.62 crores
