New Delhi: In an initiative aimed at
ensuring timely and responsive justice, Delhi Government today
launched a `mediation and conciliation` service through which
people will be able to resolve their disputes without going to
court.
The service will be available at `mediation and
conciliation centres` where mediators will help disputing
parties settle their difference.
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today inaugurated the
first such centre at Patparganj area of the city. The
mediation and conciliation centre will try to resolve disputes
between warring parties without going to to court, police or
other forums.
Dikshit described inauguration of the first Mediation
and Conciliation Centre as a "beginning which will go a long
way in resolution of cases in shortest possible time and will
ensure justice without involvement of any lawyer."
Acting Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Justice Madan
B Lokur and Labour Minister Mangat Ram Singhal were also
present on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Dikshit said three more such
centres will be set up in Rohini, Parliament Street and Rajpur
Road locality of the city within next two months.
"It has been decided to set up such centers in all the
districts in the city," she said.
The Chief Minister said the mediation and conciliation
centres will facilitate negotiation between the disputing
parties with help of neutral mediator.
It will be a voluntary, confidential, transparent and
flexible process where parties themselves will workout
solutions of their disputes, she said.
Officials said the mediators will not decide or impose
any solution on the parties but will create a favourable
environment to enable them to reach an amicable settlement.
Dikshit expressed confidence that in due course of
time, mediation centres would become an effective forum for
resolution of disputes.
Matters related to marital discord, neighbourhood
disputes, commercial matters including consumer complaints,
minor criminal offences could be referred for mediation.
The petty criminal cases can also be referred by the
police to the centres before registration of FIR.
Lawyers who have undergone training as prescribed by
Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee of Supreme Court
of India could be appointed as mediator for such centres.
Retired officers, judges, and bureaucrats will also be
eligible to become mediators of the mediation centres.
An official said a mediator will first talk to the
parties and establish his neutrality to create trust of
parties in the process. "Once the matter is settled mediator
will clarify and confirm the terms and record the settlement,"
he said.
-PTI
