Bilaspur, March 14th, 2026: In a significant initiative aimed at ensuring the delivery of swift, accessible, and affordable justice, Hon’ble Shri Justice Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice, High Court of Chhattisgarh and Patron-in-Chief, Chhattisgarh State Legal Services Authority (CGSLSA), inaugurated the first National Lok Adalat of the year 2026 at the District and Sessions Court, Durg.
Hon’ble the Chief Justice was accompanied by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Naresh Kumar Chandravanshi, Portfolio Judge for the District Durg. During the visit, Hon’ble the Chief Justice inspected the proceedings of the National Lok Adalat and interacted with the Judicial Officers, Advocates, and Officials representing Banking Institutions and the Electricity Department. He emphasized that collective cooperation among all stakeholders is essential for reducing judicial backlog and ensuring effective dispute resolution.
Appreciating the efforts of the participating stakeholders, he encouraged them to actively facilitate amicable settlement of disputes on the occasion of the National Lok Adalat so as to ensure speedy and meaningful justice to the litigants.
On this occasion, Hon’ble the Chief Justice officially launched a theme song on Lok Adalat and Mediation Awareness at the District Court, Durg. The theme song has been prepared in the traditional “Pandwani style” – a cultural pride of Chhattisgarh – to effectively disseminate the message of amicable dispute resolution to the larger section of society in a culturally resonant manner.
Following his visit to Durg, Hon’ble the Chief Justice proceeded to the District and Sessions Court, Raipur, where he inspected the ongoing proceedings of the National Lok Adalat. During the visit, he interacted with Judicial Officers and other stakeholders and reviewed the progress of settlements. His presence served as a source of encouragement to all concerned and reinforced the collective commitment to strengthening the Lok Adalat mechanism as a litigant-friendly and accessible forum for the expeditious resolution of disputes.
Thereafter, connecting virtually from Raipur, Hon’ble the Chief Justice conducted a comprehensive review of the National Lok Adalat proceedings taking place at the High Court as well as across all 23 districts of the State.
Harnessing the power of technology in the service of justice, Hon’ble the Chief Justice virtually interacted with the Lok Adalat Benches of the High Court presided over by Hon’ble Shri Justice Sachin Singh Rajput and Hon’ble Shri Justice Amitendra Kishore Prasad, and appreciated their efforts in facilitating effective dispute resolution and promoting the spirit of amicable settlement.
Hon’ble the Chief Justice also held detailed discussions with the Principal District and Sessions Judges of all districts. During the interaction, he reiterated that the National Lok Adalat serves as a crucial mechanism for ensuring expeditious justice and emphasized the importance of dedicated efforts by all Judicial Officers toward achieving the maximum possible disposal of cases through dispute resolution in Lok Adalat.
The concerted efforts culminated in a remarkable achievement. According to the data received for the First National Lok Adalat organized on March 14, 2026, encompassing the High Court, District and Sessions Courts, Taluka level Courts, and Revenue Courts across Chhattisgarh, a total of 71,94,079 cases (including criminal compoundable cases, civil cases, revenue cases, pre-litigation cases, and traffic challan cases) were resolved, and an award amount of Rs. 37,32,45,02,059/- was passed.
Since assuming office, Hon’ble Shri Justice Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice of the High Court of Chhattisgarh, has consistently accorded high priority to the delivery of speedy, accessible, and affordable justice to the people of Chhattisgarh through the Lok Adalat system. Under his leadership, regular review meetings and continuous guidance have been extended to the Principal District Judges across the State, with a view to strengthening the effective implementation of Lok Adalats and enhancing access to justice for the public.
Hon’ble The Chief Justice extended his sincere appreciation to Hon’ble Shri Justice Sanjay K. Agrawal, Executive Chairman, CGLSA, Hon’ble Shri Justice Parth Prateem Sahu, Chairman, HCLSC, all the Principal District and Sessions Judges, Judges of the Family Court, all Presiding Officers of the Lok Adalat Benches, Advocates, Parties and all stakeholders who contributed, directly or indirectly, in making this National Lok Adalat a historic success.
