For the First Time in 33 Years: Lok Adalat Organized at Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal in Mumbai for Service-Related Cases

138 Cases Resolved Amicably in MAT’s Lok Adalat

Mumbai : The Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT), Mumbai, in collaboration with the High Court Legal Services Committee, Mumbai, organized its first-ever Lok Adalat in 33 years at its office in Mumbai. This initiative was undertaken to expedite and amicably resolve all types of service-related matters of government employees. Special Judicial Officer Suresh Joshi from MAT, Mumbai, shared that out of 542 cases listed across its three benches, 138 were resolved through compromise during the Lok Adalat.

The Lok Adalat was held at Maker Tower, E-Wing, 3rd Floor, Cuffe Parade, near the World Trade Center in Mumbai. Among the listed cases, the Mumbai Bench resolved 39 out of 238, the Nagpur Bench resolved 63 out of 150, and the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Bench resolved 36 out of 154, according to Mr. Joshi.

Under the guidance of Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik, secretaries from all departments provided significant support to ensure the success of the Lok Adalat. Nodal officers were appointed by each department in the Secretariat, facilitating easy coordination with the government regarding the cases presented before the Lok Adalat. Long-pending cases were meticulously scrutinized by Chief Presenter Officer Swati Manchekar and brought before the Lok Adalat through the appointed nodal officers.

Presided over by Justice Mridula Bhatkar, Chairperson of MAT, the event saw the joint efforts of all MAT officers, staff, chief presenters, members of the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal Bar Association, advocates, and government-appointed nodal officers. This historic Lok Adalat was a first since the establishment of MAT 33 years ago.

Three panels were constituted for the Lok Adalat. The panel heads included Justice Vinay Joshi, A. P. Kunhekar, and retired judicial member R. B. Malik. Panel members comprised Nitin Gadre (Principal Member, MAT, Nagpur), Vijay Kumar (Retired Principal Member, MAT, Aurangabad), Vijaya Chauhan, Sandesh Tadvi, retired Deputy Secretary R. M. Kolge (Advocate), and M. B. Kadam (Advocate).