Gumla Permanent Lok Adalat Holds Awareness Camp, Takes Up 35 Bank Loan Cases

The Permanent Lok Adalat in Gumla organised an awareness camp on its premises at the Pugu branch of Bank of India to inform people about accessible and cost-effective mechanisms for resolving disputes related to public utility services.

The camp was attended virtually by Virendra Kumar Tiwari, in-charge chairman of the Permanent Lok Adalat. Addressing the gathering, member Shambhu Singh explained that the forum hears public utility-related disputes on every working day and provides facilities to litigants to help resolve their cases.

Singh said disputes concerning electricity, bank loans, dispensaries, insurance and water supply fall within the scope of public utility services handled by the forum. People facing problems in these areas can submit applications to the Permanent Lok Adalat free of charge.

He explained that the forum seeks to settle disputes quickly through mutual agreement between the parties. This approach can help reduce litigation costs, save time and spare both sides the burden of prolonged legal proceedings.

As part of the initiative, Bank of India's Pugu branch referred 35 non-performing asset (NPA) cases to the Permanent Lok Adalat for resolution through conciliation and settlement.

Permanent Lok Adalat member Rajkumar Gupta also addressed the gathering, providing further information about the forum's functioning and the services available to the public.

Bank officials Naveen Oraon and Ashok Kumar Jaiswal, the branch's deputy manager, attended the programme along with Manish Kumar of the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) and members of the public.

The awareness drive aimed to familiarise residents with an alternative dispute resolution mechanism that can help settle eligible public utility disputes without the expense and delays often associated with conventional litigation.