Above: Justice Ranjan Gogoi/Photo Courtesy: nalsa.gov.in

Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjan Gogoi, executive chairman of the National Legal Service Authority (NALSA), told mediapersons at a press conference on Tuesday (January 9) that NALSA will go all out in its outreach programme, utilising the resources of NGOs as well as playing its theme song at cinema halls to promote the legal services that the government intends to provide to the needy.

The outreach programme is in the form of educational programmes, reaching out to approximately 52 crore people who need this help but do not know where to go to get it.

Justice Gogoi has been quoted as saying: “In our experience, the government department wants to give benefits but they don’t know to whom.”

Hence a ‘Legal Services Camp Module’ has been formalised which will endeavour to connecting people with their entitlements. Under this scheme will be highlighted various welfare schemes or legislations of the Centre and the states.

Referring to the client base of these camps he related the experience of one such camp, already held in his home state of Assam. It addressed people from about 50 villages and educated them on their legal entitlements. The next camp will be held at Rewa village in Madhya Pradesh.

The format is not like seminar, which might be a bit intimidating for the people of a village. Instead, it is like a village fair where various government departments set up stalls.

NALSA will identify the people according to their needs and send them over to the particular stall for “real time delivery” of benefit at the spot.

—India Legal Bureau