Institutions, builders can be dragged to Lok Adalat

If any educational institution refuses to give admission to a student on frivolous ground, demanding exorbitant tuition fee or delay in granting degree, people can now approach Lok Adalat for relief.

Also, housing relates issues like refusal by builder to pay interest for delay in handing over a house, aggrieved party can approach lok adalats for faster redressal.

The Law Ministry issued a notification on February 16 by including two new categories–education or educational institutions and housing and real estate services–under the definition of public utility services which can be covered by lok adalats.

“This will reduce pendency in regular courts. Issues like eligibility for admission, exorbitant tuition fee, refusal or delay to grant degree, refusal by builder to pay interest for delay in handing over a house can be covered by lok adalats where grievance redressal is faster than regular courts,” a senior official in the Law Ministry told Deccan Herald.

He said certain types of cases related to housing and real estate would still have to be settled in regular courts.

The government decided to bring these two categories under the ambit of lok adalats after getting feedback from various stake holders, said the official.