Damauli. The judicial committee at the local level has given priority to settling the cases so that both sides win the election. The judicial committees in the municipalities and rural municipalities of the district have been settling the cases through mediation. It is said that both sides have been able to feel victorious.

A total of 116 cases were registered in the district headquarters Byas Municipality in the last fiscal year and 88 of them have been settled. Judicial committee coordinator and municipality deputy mayor Indira Darai said the municipality has been settling the cases through mediation. “We will hold discussions with both sides after the case is registered in the judicial committee and we have adopted the policy of reconciliation to give a sense of victory to both sides,” he said. ’

Garbage management, transactions, border disputes, house rental, canal and water, land grabbing and violence against women are registered at the municipality. The municipality has set up a mediation centre in every ward. According to Darai, the municipality has set up a mediation centre in the ward itself with the objective of settling minor disputes in the ward. “When all the cases are sent to the judicial committee, the burden of cases increases, and minor disputes can be resolved through discussions in the ward,” said Darai. ’

Of the 17 cases filed in Bandipur rural municipality, 11 were settled, judicial committee coordinator and rural municipality vice-chair Panchamaya Gurung said. He said that the dispute resolution has been given first priority so that both sides do not feel defeated.

Out of the 26 cases filed in Bhimad municipality, 23 were settled, said Deputy Mayor and Judicial Committee Coordinator Sharada Khanal. Vice-chairperson of Rishing Rural Municipality and coordinator of judicial committee Ginu Maya Thapa said out of 16 cases registered at the rural municipality, four have been settled. Deputy-Mayor Khum Bahadur BK said 79 cases have been settled in Shuklagandaki municipality out of which 47 have been settled.

Vice-chairperson of Ghiring rural municipality and coordinator of judicial committee Radhadevi Adhikari said six of the 13 cases filed at the rural municipality were settled. Of the 60 cases filed in Bhanu municipality, 44 were settled, said deputy mayor Uma Gautam.

A judicial committee has been formed under the coordination of the deputy mayor in the municipality as per the Local Governance Act-2074 BS. There is a legal provision that some cases registered at the judicial committee should be decided by the judicial committee and some cases should be settled through mediation.

It is believed that the Mediation Centre will help promote justice, human rights and civic rights in the society by supporting the local development process by maintaining peace, harmony and reconciliation at the local level, empowering women, Dalits, indigenous nationalities, Madhesi, Muslims, backward classes and marginalized communities to resolve disputes in a participatory manner.