Patna: Thousands of people gathered at Gandhi Maidan on Saturday as authorities organised the city’s first special Lok Adalat dedicated to resolving vehicle traffic challan cases, drawing residents hoping to settle or waive pending fines.
The initiative, held under the National Lok Adalat framework, set up a temporary camp in the open grounds where people began arriving early in the morning. Large numbers of motorists came to clear old challans, while others submitted applications seeking a reduction or complete waiver of penalties.
Officials said the camp aimed to simplify the settlement of traffic violation cases and reduce the burden on courts by resolving disputes through mutual consent.
However, many attendees did not receive an immediate resolution. Authorities instead collected applications from those seeking waivers or settlements and informed them that their requests would first be reviewed. Applicants were told they would be contacted by phone after scrutiny and asked to return later to complete the necessary procedures.
The arrangement led to some disappointment among members of the public, particularly those who had travelled from distant areas expecting their cases to be settled on the same day. Several people left after submitting applications without any immediate outcome.
Despite this, many remained hopeful that the review process would lead to some relief in their pending fines.
Traffic police personnel and judicial officials were deployed at the venue to manage the process, while additional police forces were present to regulate the crowd.
Officials said the large number of applications received had slowed the process and that cases would be settled only after proper verification.
Authorities added that the Lok Adalat initiative was designed to offer a quicker and more accessible mechanism for resolving minor legal disputes, helping citizens avoid repeated visits to courts while clearing long-pending challan cases.
