SHILLONG: Para-Legal Volunteers under the Meghalaya State Legal Services Authority (MSLSA) have been rendering valuable services to provide legal aid to all sections of people through the process of Para-Legal Volunteers Scheme in an attempt to remove the barriers that impede access to justice.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, MSLSA member secretary N.A. Khan said that the volunteers act as intermediaries, bridging the gap between the common people and the legal services institutions to remove impediments in access to justice.
He informed that there are 282 volunteers in the State and altogether 74 legal care and support centres are active in East Khasi Hills District alone.
Volunteers help people to get access to legal aid and support; besides they also intervene if villagers do not get payment for various Government schemes. They also help those people who are deprived of their rights.
The MSLSA is now contemplating to deploy its volunteers in banks to enable people to fill up different forms and is also planning to set up legal centres in the various markets of the city.
“There is no age bar for volunteers and anyone can be a PLV except for a lawyer,” Khan said, adding volunteers are provided basic training and are issued identity cards.
It may be mentioned that a team of volunteers also work in close co-ordination with the State Police in cases related to missing children and oversee the progress of the case.
Recently the MSLSA nominated Ksanboklang Kharshiing as the best PLV from Meghalaya for his efforts in setting up a legal care and support centre in Sohra.
Kharshiing has, so far, assisted 101 persons in preparing applications for obtaining old age pensions schemes, ST certificates and EPIC cards.
Problems of the local people were effectively brought to the notice of the Government through his efforts, MSLSA said.