Shillong, May 10: The Shri Justice Surya Kant, Chief Justice of India and Patron-in-Chief, National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), inaugurated the Mega Camp-cum-Awareness Programme on the NALSA Schemes and Government Welfare Schemes under the theme “Bridging the Gap” on Saturday today at Marngar, Ri Bhoi district.
The camp is being conducted in partnership with the government to ensure last-mile delivery of NALSA social welfare benefits and government schemes.
In his inaugural address as the Chief Guest of the occasion, Hon’ble Justice Shri Surya Kant, Chief Justice of India & Patron-in-Chief, NALSA, shared anecdotes about experiences while dealing with the public and the multi-dimensional problems that the public face.
That, institutions must come to the public to ensure last mile access to Justice; that healthcare access, educational support, livelihood opportunities, and rehabilitation assistance are being brought into convergence mode through the awareness camps.
“Therefore, it is very essential that under one roof all these welfare schemes implemented by government department and organisations, legal organizations – all together to join hands and work together in tandem.”
He acknowledged the role of para-legal volunteers, urging the authority to strengthen their recruitment. Extolling the community-based administration of justice, the various sections of society was encouraged to participate more actively in ensuring inclusive and compassionate justice to the marginalized sections of society.
Speaking as the Guest of Honour, Justice Shri Ujjal Bhuyan, Judge, Supreme Court of India, observed that the people of the state maintain their respective traditional systems of justice.
He mphasized the importance of aligning the traditional justice system with the modern justice delivery system under the Constitution of India. Pointing towards pineapple cultivation in Ri Bhoi, he shared that the people of the state are as sweet as the pineapples grown there.
In his address, Shri Lahkmen Rymbui, Law Minister, said, “MSLSA have devised a comprehensive legal service program in the form of State Action Plan. Effort has been made when framing the program activities to ensure that they adapt to the local situation, so that they can effectively address the problem faced by the people of the state; at the same time to be in consonance with the national plan of action.
It is expected that these activities will be carried out in a letter and spirit, and that the benefits will reach the targeted section of society.” He added that access to justice requires a collective effort of the government, judiciary, and society as a whole.
Smt Justice Revati Mohite Dere, Chief Justice, High Court of Meghalaya and Patron-in-Chief, MSLSA, said the mega camp is a promise to the people that legal help is accessible and would subsequently bridge the gap between citizens and the government, as well as between citizens and the judiciary.
Stating that in the last five years, 14 such mega camps have been held covering 9 districts and benefitting thousands of people, she maintained, “In our democracy, justice has no distance.”
The dignitaries distributed assistive devices,implements to Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), cheques, work orders to beneficiaries of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and Village Organizations (VOs) under government schemes, and certificates to the best-performing Legal Aid Panel Lawyers, Para-Legal Volunteers (PLVs), and Lawyers from Legal Aid Defense Counsel (LADCs) during the year 2025.
