District Legal Services Authority adjudged best in North India

 Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 11

The District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Jalandhar, was recently adjudged the best in North India for exposing violations of norms in the management of Gandhi Vanita Ashram, an observation home for girls, in April. 

Chief Justice of India HL Dattu gave away the award to District and Sessions Judge Raj Shekhar Attri , Chairman of the DLSA, and Rana Kanwardeep Kaur, Civil Judge (Senior Division)-cum-Secretary, DLSA, on November 9 at a glittering ceremony on National Legal Services Day in New Delhi. The award was conferred on them for exposing the violations of norms in the management of the ashram.

The DLSA team, led by Rana Kanwardeep Kaur, raided the ashram on April 25 and found CCTVs installed in the rooms of girl inmates living there. The team also found a huge pile-up of outdated stock of unstitched clothes, stationery items and other articles. A girl even tried to commit suicide in front of the DLSA team by sliting her wrist for the alleged harassment by the observation home staff.

According to Rana Kanwar, with over 2,20,584 people in the distict made aware about their legal rights, the DLSA had gained success in bringing awareness of legal rights at their doorstep. “Now, our focus is on the enforcement of their rights in their respective arenas,” said the 34-year-old Secretary from the PCS (Judicial) 2006 batch. 

She also said that a state-of-the-art alternative dispute redressal centre (ADRC) was coming up soon at the New Courts complex with an estimated cost of around Rs 1.45 crore that will have a mediation centre, a permanent Lok Adalat room and the front office for the District Legal Services Authority where people can apply to get free legal aid. The centre will commence its operations by the end of this month. 

Award winning streaks

On April 25, the DLSA team raided the State Observation Home for girls at Gandhi Vanita Ashram and found irregularities and mismanagement of CCTV cameras. The meal being reported to the girls was unhygienic. Outdated and unused sports kits, bed-sheets, carom boards, sanitary pads undergarments and other articles were found locked. The DLSA team made necessary undergarments available to girls inmates. Also, medical facility was made available on the premises. Also, the CCTV cameras installed in their bedrooms were installed in the common areas of the home. 

Two mentally challenged girls were found being teased at the railway station in Jalandhar by some boys. The DLSA, Jalandhar, with the help of the police authorities, produced the girls before the Illaqa Magistrate under the Mentally Health Act and the girls were sent to Women Protective Home, Jalandhar, after proper check up from Civil Hospital. Now the condition of these girls are reported to be normal.”

On the eve of the annual mela of Baba Murad Shah, Nakodar, in which about 4 to 5 lakh people/ “shardalus” visit to pay their tributes to Baba Shri Murad Shah, Nakodar, an awareness camp was conducted and pamphlets were distributed among the “shardalus” so that maximum people may come to know the importance of Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, as well as other schemes, including Victim Compensations Scheme.

During the visit of the DLSA team to Kand Sahbu village, a slum area on Nakodar Road, the team found that most of the children residing in the area were working as labourers in various factories and shops. On the instructions of the DLSA, about 16 children, the DEO and CDPO of the locality got registered these children in the schools for their education and now they are getting education. Similar exercise was conducted in many other slum areas in various bastis and Rama Mandi. 

National Lok Adalat

The National Lok Adalat will be held on December 6 in which 19 types of cases pertaining to railway claims, electricity and water bills, sales tax/income tax and also civil cases pertaining to bank recovery, debt recovery tribunal cases will be taken up at the newly constructed ADRC at the New Courts Complex. 

Assistance

For free legal aid, Contact Civil Judge (Senior Division)-Cum-Secretary District Legal Services Authority

Judicial Court Complex, Room No. 17, Jalandhar. 

Contact info: Telephone No. 0181-2235775

For any legal advice or aid: Toll free No. 1968

Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987

This act has been framed to benefit those people who cannot afford litigation and those entitled to free legal aid:

1. Women

2. Children

3. Physically and mentally handicapped

4. Factory workers 

5. Those in custody

6. SCs and STs

7. People having less than 1,50,000 annual income

8. Victims of natural calamities 

Such people can approach the Legal Services Authority in sub-divisions, District Courts and High Court and Supreme Court.