Mysuru: The Alternative Dispute Redressal Centre was  inaugurated by high court judge N K Patil, who is also Mysuru district administrative judge, on Saturday the 3rd of January.

The centre is expected to help courts to reduce the number of cases by settling disputes through arbitration, mediation and through Lok Adalats.

Dinesh Hegde, member-secretary of Mysuru District Legal Services Authority, on Friday, claimed that litigants are unaware of this process of law where cases are settled quickly and without expenditure. “There is a need to create awareness about Lok Adalats, mediation and arbitration. During the recent national Lok Adalat meeting, over 13,000 cases were settled in just three months. The only condition to bring court cases to this centre is mutual consent. Both the parties should agree to this. Once cases are settled in Lok Adalats, parties cannot appeal in any higher courts,” he added.

“The Legal Aid Service Authority has also been providing free legal aid to women and to litigants whose income is less than Rs 1 lakh. Legal assistance is also being given to transgenders and people involved in cases related to communal clash free of cost,” the member-secretary claimed.

District minister V Srinivas Prasad, law minister T B Jayachandra and public works minister H C Mahadevappa will attend the inaugural function.