DLSA Durg Begins Community Mediation Training Programme Under NALSA's Litigation-Free Rural India Initiative
The District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Durg, on Saturday inaugurated a five-day Community Mediation Training Programme under the National Legal Services Authority's (NALSA) Community Mediation Towards a Litigation-Free Rural India Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), 2026. The programme, being held from 25 to 29 July 2026 at the District & Sessions Court, Durg, aims to strengthen community-based dispute resolution through mediation and promote the peaceful settlement of disputes at the village level.
Community Mediation seeks to facilitate the amicable resolution of family, neighbourhood, land-related and other community disputes through dialogue and consensus before they reach the courts, thereby strengthening the culture of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in rural areas.
According to Mr. Umesh Kumar Bhagwatkar, Secretary, District Legal Services Authority, Durg, the programme is being conducted under the guidance of Mr. K. Vinod Kujur, Principal District & Sessions Judge and Chairman, DLSA, Durg. As part of the initiative, five villages—Ghughsidih, Nankatthi, Arasnara, Nikum and Kuthrel—have been selected, and 15 Community Mediators from these villages are undergoing training. The participants will receive practical instruction on the principles and processes of community mediation, dispute resolution techniques and related skills, enabling them to facilitate the amicable settlement of minor disputes within their respective communities.
To oversee the implementation of the programme, the DLSA has constituted a coordination committee comprising Mrs. Sushma Lakra, Chairperson, Permanent and Continuous Lok Adalat; Mr. Bhupesh Kumar Basant, Chief Judicial Magistrate; Mr. Umesh Kumar Bhagwatkar, Secretary, DLSA, Durg; Ms. Muskan Sharma, Civil Judge (Junior Division); and Mr. Pankaj Sharma.
The programme has also received support from the District Bar Association, Durg, which is assisting in the implementation of the initiative and promoting awareness of community mediation as an accessible mechanism for dispute resolution.
The initiative adopts a multi-sectoral approach involving various government departments, including the Revenue Department, Panchayat and Rural Development Department, Health Department, Women and Child Development Department and Veterinary Department. Faculty members and students from Surana Law College, Bharti Law College, Kalyan Law College and Shankaracharya Law College are also participating in the programme, along with Para Legal Volunteers (PLVs), Panchayat representatives and social workers, with the objective of strengthening community mediation and expanding access to justice at the grassroots level.