A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking directions for the immediate filling of vacant posts in Permanent Lok Adalats (PLAs) in Punjab.People Welfare Society, Mohali, in a PIL filed through advocate Kanwar Pahul Singh, claimed that various posts were lying vacant in the PLAs, service rules had not been notified by the Punjab Government and the PLAs were functioning with contractual employees, that too with a low staff strength.He said the functioning of the PLAs was being badly affected due to the shortage of staff. The petition said information received through an RTI application revealed the “sorry state of affairs” prevailing in all PLAs established in Punjab.He said the information revealed that 22 posts of Process Servers, two posts of Readers, seven posts of Stenographers and 16 posts of Ahlmads were lying vacant.The concept of PLAs was introduced under the Act in 2002 and 24 years had since lapsed, but service recruitment rules had still not been framed and were under the process of amendment, he said.The petitioner questioned how presiding officers would be able to provide speedy and effective justice to litigants approaching PLAs with the hope of getting speedy, effective and easier justice.There are no Process Servers employed in the PLAs, raising the question of who would serve the notices issued by the PLAs to respondents, the petition said. Even posts of Ahlmads are vacant, meaning there is nobody to take care of the files of matters pending before the PLAs.It said this meant that even service of notices without delay would not be possible unless applicants themselves made efforts to prepare the notices and serve them on the respondents.Counsel Kanwar Pahul Singh argued that there was no paucity of funds in the State Legal Aid Fund, but despite this, PLAs lacked the necessary staff required for their effective and speedy functioning.The petition referred to the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, which provides for the establishment of separate PLAs in each district of the state.Under Article 256, it is the constitutional duty of every government to ensure compliance with existing laws or laws enacted by Parliament, the petitioner said.The petition stated that citizens of Punjab were being deprived of the benefits of PLAs and speedy and expeditious justice. They were still required to approach regular civil courts to seek relief, where lengthy and complicated procedures deprived them of timely and effective justice, it said.The High Court has adjourned the hearing to September 21, 2026, while observing that an advance copy of the petition be served upon counsel appearing for the Punjab State Legal Services Authority, who may obtain instructions in the matter.