Shillong, Sept 17: “You are doing a divine job and you will be rewarded everywhere and God will also reward you for it” “You are able to wash the tears of the poor man from his face. God will help you” says Hon’ble Mr. Justice Mohammad Yaqoob Mir, the Chief Justice of the High Court of Meghalaya as well as the Patron-In-Chief of the Meghalaya State Legal Services Authority while speaking to the Para Legal Volunteers and Panel Lawyers of the MSLSA in a “One Day Orientation –cum-Sensitisation programme for Para Legal Volunteers and Panel Lawyers” held at the conference Hall of the High Court of Meghalaya on the 15th September, 2018.
While inaugurating the said programme, the Chief Justice exhorted the Para Legal Volunteers and Panel Lawyers who have come from the six Districts of East Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hill, West Khasi Hills, South-West Khasi Hills and East Jaintia Hills besides Ri-Bhoi district.
Stressing on the fact that the mandate of Article 39 A of the Constitution of India resulting in the enactment of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 through free legal aid and various schemes of the National Legal Services Authority(NALSA) provides a way to reach out to the poor and the downtrodden and those who have no one to help them, the way to help these people is by the services rendered by the Para Legal Volunteers who will guide these people to the Legal Services Institutions.
Another way to help them is by way of the welfare schemes which have been formulated by NALSA, such as the NALSA (Legal Services to Disaster Victims through Legal Services Authority) Scheme 2010, NALSA (Victims of trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation) Scheme, 2015 and others.
However, for those beneficiaries who should know what these Schemes are about, the PLVs must first know the Schemes themselves and then will be able to help those who need help.
His Lordship also calls upon the PLV to be committed to work for social welfare and social cause and after being properly imparted basic training to work for the welfare of the poor, downtrodden, abandoned, ignored and underprivileged section of the society as a public spirited worker.
Similarly, while speaking about the Panel Lawyers, the Hon’ble Chief Justice has emphasized that taking up cases of free legal aid has to be treated as a way of social work and not to gain monetary benefits. It is also an opportunity to take up cases before the Courts to get exposure.
The meeting was also graced by the presence of Hon’ble Mr. Justice S.R.Sen, Executive Chairman, MSLSA, the Registrar General, High Court of Meghalaya as well as District Judges and Judicial Officers of many districts and many others.
