16.2.2012 (UNI) As heavy backlog of cases remains a perennial challenge for the judiciary, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms have gained much prominence and mediation has emerged as an effective ADR tool.

With a view to further popularizing Mediation as an ADR mechanism, a day-long east zone regional conference on Mediation is being organised here by the Gauhati High Court Mediation Centre on February 18.

Informing about the conference, Registrar General of the HC Indira Shah said, the mediation centres can help greatly in reducing the number of pending cases. Civil cases can be effectively and speedily disposed through mediation.

The Centre has been operational for over a year now and about 100 cases have been disposed of.

There are 12 mediation centres in Assam, while the centres at the other North East states are coming up.

Elaborating on the conference, Dr Shah said the theme of the meet would be '‘Mediation; A Win-Win Model of Dispute Resolution'. It will be attended by representatives of Gauhati High Court and its outlying benches as well as high courts of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Sikkim and West Bengal.

Chairman of the Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee of the Supreme Court, Justice Dalveer Bhandari of the apex court, and MCPC member Justice Swatentar Kumar, also of the Supreme Court, will attend the conference.

Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court Justice M B Lokur and Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court Justice A K Gel, among others, will participate in the conference. UNI