By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Supreme Court judge and executive chairman of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), Justice Ranjan Gogoi on Wednesday said access to justice did not necessarily mean access to courts of law and that it was important to reach out to below poverty line (BPL) populace of the country.
Justice Gogoi was speaking at the National Legal Services Authority’s regional meet of State Legal Services Authorities (North Eastern Region) convened by the executive chairman of NALSA at State Convention Centre on Wednesday.
He pointed out that there was a need to reach out to the below poverty line (BPL) population and work out a direction through which they can reach out to the BPL.
“The international poverty line has been drawn at $1.90 or Rs 100-110 in Indian terms,” he said though he expressed great doubts of the correctness of the statistics. “However, if we have to go by this line, 25 per cent of India’s population which is 30-35 crores is below the poverty line,” the apex court judge said.
He further said 51 per cent of India’s population was below the age of 35 years and the youth in India was between 15-29 years, which is a population of over 50 crore.
“This is a volatile situation and the need of the hour is to reach out to the BPL population. Even if we succeed in reaching out to 10-20 per cent of these people under BPL, I think the very existence of NALSA is justified,” Gogoi said.
The meeting saw the participation of the Chief Justices and Judges from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura accompanied by the judicial officers of the respective states.
Justice Gogoi further said, “Legal services include providing legal aid to all.” He also called upon the district level officers to implement the schemes of NALSA by emphasising the fact that the role of the legal services institutions goes beyond the scope of only giving legal aid, but the very fact that access to justice for all means that justice has to be meted out to all those who are in need of justice.
The conference comprised two technical sessions which discussed on several issues on evaluation and review of the work performance of State Legal Service Authorities (SLSAs), legal aid, National Lok Adalats and implementation of NALSA schemes and also identification of the areas for expansion of SLSA activities under the NALSA schemes.
He also stated that the role of the SLSAs was spelt out in the objective of the scheme itself and further emphasised that the activities of the SLSAs should be given more publicity.
Justice Gogoi raised a question to the participants with regard to the quality of the assessment of the Para Legal Volunteers and stated that their recruitment must be carried out meticulously.
Chief Justice of Meghalaya, Dinesh Maheshwari said the “classical role of justice delivery” system has presently seen a sea change. “Justice does not mean mere delivery of judgement but more of a deliverance of resolutions,” Maheshwari said.
He said the programme would take stock of whatever hitherto has been in the activity of the SLSA and simultaneously chalk out a road map for the future. “To chalk out way ahead to truly contribute our ideals has been so aptly put in Article 39A of the Constitution of India,” he said.
Referring to the theme of NALSA, “Access to justice for all”, he said, “The key word here is all. This is where we have to contribute as a unit for all, one for all and all for one.”