From Our Correspondent
TURA:A Legal Literacy Campaign was on Friday organised by the Meghalaya State Legal Services Authority (MSLSA), in collaboration with the District Administration at Damalgre Upper Primary School, Damalgre, West Garo Hills to create awareness on legal rights to the people residing in rural areas by familiarizing them with fundamental legal terms and procedures.
West Garo Hills Additional District Magistrate, L Ch Marak in his address deliberated on the functions and objectives of the MSLSA. He informed that the Act was passed with the a vowed objective of fulfilling one of the directive principles of State policy enunciated in Article 39A of the Constitution of India. “Under it, the State is constitutionally commanded to secure the operation of the legal system promotes justice, on a basis of equal opportunity, and shall, in particular, provide free legal aid, by suitable legislation or schemes or in any other way, to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities” he said adding “The Act makes provision for giving free legal services to various categories including any person if he or she is, A member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe; A victim of trafficking in human beings or beggar as referred to in Article 23 of the Constitution; A woman or a child; A person with disability; or an industrial workman”.
Urging the people gathered, to be attentive, Marak said that the campaign would benefit the people by arming them with legal knowledge enabling them to pursue their legal requirements.
Betasing C & RD Block Development Officer, S N Sangma delivering the introductory and welcome address informed the gathering on the objectives of the campaign and urged them listen to the deliberations very carefully and make use of their new found knowledge judiciously.
Stressing on the need for people to be legally literate especially as consumers he said that any queries related to consumer affairs could be submitted to the District Consumer Forum of which the Deputy Commissioner was the Chairman.
The Legal Literacy Campaign deliberated and shed light on subjects ranging from Consumer Affairs, MACT Cases, FIR/Bail, Para Legal Volunteer, Legal Aid Clinic, RTI, Local Customary laws among various other topics. The Campaign was attended by several hundred people from various walks of life.
The resource persons at the legal literacy campaign were Government Advocate Janabi Chetry, Advocate Vikash Jogi, Advocate Chanakya Chetry and Advocate Nausica M Sangma.