Guntur judiciary tops State in civil dispute settlements at Lok Adalat for fourth consecutive time

The Guntur district judiciary secured first rank in settlement of civil cases in the State for the fourth consecutive time during the National Lok Adalat (NLA) held on March 14, 2026, marking a notable achievement in case disposal, according to B. Sai Kalyanachakravarthi, Principal District Judge and Chairman of the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA).

In an interaction with The Hindu on Sunday, Mr. Kalyanachakravarthi said the district recorded one of its highest disposal figures in the latest Lok Adalat, settling 1,784 civil cases, 24,868 criminal cases and 100 pre-litigation matters in a single day. As many as 41 Benches were constituted across the district to facilitate the settlements.

Kurnool district stood second by settling 665 civil cases, while East Godavari ranked third by settling 631 civil cases.

Among the notable outcomes was the resolution of a 14-year-old execution petition along with several complex civil disputes. The settlements also included high-value civil matters amounting to more than ₹25 crore, reflecting the effectiveness of the conciliatory mechanism of Lok Adalats.

Mr. Kalyanachakravarthi attributed the consistent performance to coordinated efforts between judicial officers, members of the Bar and court staff. He said several practical approaches were adopted to encourage compromise in suitable cases and ensure that matters which normally take years in regular courts could be resolved through dialogue and mutual agreement.

DLSA Secretary Syed Ziyauddin said the achievement was the result of collective work by judicial officers, advocates and administrative staff who worked extensively to identify cases and assist litigants in reaching settlements.

The district’s performance has shown steady improvement over the past four Lok Adalats. On July 5, 2025, Guntur settled 1,076 civil cases and 11,632 criminal cases to secure first rank. The momentum continued on September 13, 2025, with 937 civil and 11,146 criminal cases disposed of. On December 13, 2025, the district settled 1,407 civil and 22,504 criminal cases.

Mr. Kalyanachakravarthi said the objective of the DLSA remained providing accessible and affordable justice to the public through amicable settlement mechanisms such as Lok Adalats.