Awards worth more than Rs 1,116 crore were passed in the National Lok Adalat held across Punjab, giving a financial dimension to the nearly six lakh disputes settled in the exercise.The Punjab State Legal Services Authority (PSLSA) said awards covered a broad range of disputes, including motor accident compensation claims, insurance matters, banking and financial disputes, property and civil cases and other matters capable of being resolved through compromise.The amount provides a measure of the economic significance of the exercise beyond the sheer number of cases disposed of. It represents the value attached to claims and disputes in which parties chose settlement over continuing with contested litigation. The National Lok Adalat was organised under the supervisions and leadership of Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Deepak Sibal.Executive Chairman of the PSLSA, Justice Sibal has been giving emphasis to strengthening the legal services mechanism as an avenue for early settlement of disputes. The exercise brought judicial officers, District Legal Services Authorities, members of the Bar, government departments, banks, financial institutions, insurance companies and police authorities together to facilitate settlements.The wide participation is particularly relevant in cases where resolution requires coordination between the litigating parties and institutions such as insurers, banks or government agencies. Their presence can help convert a settlement reached at the negotiating table into an executable resolution rather than another step in a prolonged dispute.The significance of the exercise also lies in the nature of the process. Unlike a contested case, where the court determines the rights and liabilities of the parties, a Lok Adalat works towards an outcome accepted by the parties themselves through conciliation and negotiation.For litigants, such settlements can bring certainty over monetary claims and liabilities without the expense and waiting period associated with prolonged proceedings. For the courts, they open up space to concentrate adjudicatory time on disputes that require a judicial determination.PSLSA Member Secretary Jagdeep Kaur Virk said the exercise was also in furtherance of the constitutional objective under Article 39-A of ensuring equal justice and free legal aid, particularly for weaker and disadvantaged sections.