TS Govt will not encourage litigation on trivial issues: KCR

Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao said that the policy of Telangana Government is to be 'people friendly' and not to encourage litigation on trivial issues.

Addressing the 14th All India Meet of State Legal Services Authorities here on Saturday, the Chief Minister said that the Constitution of India provides for equal justice for poor and weaker sections of society and ensures justice for all. "Objective of Legal Services Authority is to provide legal services to the weaker sections of the society to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disability," he said.

The Chief Minister said that Lok Adalats have emerged as a system of alternative dispute resolution. "The concept is an evolution from the age old method of dispute resolution in India, through the mediation of elders. The focus in on compromise. There are neither court fees nor any rigid procedural requirements. Parties can directly interact with the judge, which is not allowed in regular courts. Thus it speeds up the process," he said.

KCR said that cases that are pending in regular courts could be transferred to the Lok Adalats if both the parties agree. This reduces the pressure on the judicial system. "We are committed to reduce time and cost of litigation by encouraging the litigants to settle the conflicts and legal issues by resorting to alternate dispute resolution mechanism," he said.

The Chief Minister said that his government was ready to settle the disputes with the individuals by choosing alternative dispute resolution route, as far as possible. Stating that the High Court was taking steps to construct Mediation Centres at all the District headquarters, he said that the State Government would provide financial assistance, wherever considered necessary.

The meeting was also addressed by Chief Justice of India Justice Tirath Snigh Thakur, Union Law Minister D. V. Sadananda Gowda, Supreme Court judges Justice Anil R. Dave and Justice N. V. Ramana and Acting Chief Justice of Hyderabad High Court Justice Dilip B. Bhosale.