Chandigarh, August 25, 2026:The Permanent Lok Adalat for Public Utility Services (PUS), U.T. Chandigarh, in association with Government College of Commerce and Business Administration (GCCBA), Sector 50, Chandigarh, organised an awareness programme at the ADR Centre, Sector 43, Chandigarh, on Tuesday.
The programme aimed to create awareness among students and faculty members about the concept, jurisdiction, benefits and functioning of the Permanent Lok Adalat for Public Utility Services.
Sh. Sanjay Kumar Sachdeva, Chairman, Permanent Lok Adalat for Public Utility Services, U.T. Chandigarh, attended the programme as the chief speaker. He was accompanied by Smt. Roonam Kaushik and Smt. Surjeet Kaur Walia, Members of the Permanent Lok Adalat for Public Utility Services, U.T. Chandigarh.
Addressing the gathering, Sh. Sanjay Kumar Sachdeva explained the role of the Permanent Lok Adalat in providing speedy and affordable justice in disputes relating to public utility services, including transport, postal and telegraph services, electricity, water supply, sanitation, hospitals and insurance.
He informed the participants that the Permanent Lok Adalat initially seeks to resolve disputes through conciliation. If conciliation fails, it is empowered to decide the dispute on merits, and its award is final and binding. He also explained the procedure for filing cases before the Permanent Lok Adalat and highlighted how the mechanism benefits the common man.
Smt. Roonam Kaushik and Smt. Surjeet Kaur Walia also addressed the gathering. They highlighted the advantages of the Lok Adalat system and encouraged the students to spread awareness about alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in society.
Dr. Sangam Kapoor, Principal, GCCBA; Prof. Poonam Agarwal, Dean; Dr. Aanchal Malik, NSS Programme Officer; and Dr. Aarti Kaushal, Convenor, Training and Counselling Cell, were also present on the occasion.
Dr. Sangam Kapoor thanked the State Legal Services Authority and the Permanent Lok Adalat team for organising the informative session. She observed that such awareness programmes are highly beneficial for the youth.
The session was interactive, with students actively participating and seeking clarification regarding public utility services and the functioning of the Permanent Lok Adalat.