DLSA sets up stall to help poor at Magh Mela in Uttarkashi

Ajay Ramola

Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, January 19

The District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) set up a stall to help poor and needy at the Magh Mela in Uttarkashi.

Harish Thapliyal, along with employees from district court staff, distributed books on their legal rights and laws as enshrined in the constitution.

Harish Thapliyal, para-legal volunteer from the Chinyali Saur block in Uttarkashi, said most of the villagers were unaware about their legal rights, such as correct way of lodging first information report(FIR), rights of senior citizens, victim for crime assistance schemes and protection of sex workers, protection against gender violence, domestic violence and labour law. Thapliyal also educated people about various government schemes such MNREGA, rural development schemes and widow pension etc. He said several legal camps had been organised in various villages around Chinyali Saur block to sensitise people towards various laws to safeguard their rights as enshrined in the constitution.

Civil Judge (Senior Division) and Secretary District Legal Service Authority Hemant Rana said the objective of the stall was to aware people about the assistance provided to the poor and needy at courts. He said the state and district level legal services authority had been constituted at the direction of Supreme Court to provide legal assistance to the poor and needy. To get justice free of cost, a panel of 13 advocates had been constituted in the district, he said. Rana said illiterate people living in rural areas were not aware of the rights conferred upon them by the law. The absence of legal awareness is responsible for the deception, exploitation and deprivation of rights and benefits of the poor, he says.

The District Legal Services Authority is working to alleviate their grievances by creating legal awareness through legal literacy/legal awareness camps at the village level, said Civil Judge (Senior Division) and Secretary District Legal Service Authority of Uttarkashi. A villager from Neri, Girveer Rawat, said he had no idea about the legal assistance being provided by the DLSA. He said the stall set up at the Magh Mela was informative and helpful.