The 7th Mega Legal Services Camp was organized in Kiphire, inaugurated by Neiko Kanuo, NJS, registrar, Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench, at Kiphire Public Ground on Wednesday.
The Nagaland State Legal Services Authority (NSLSA) and Kiphire District Legal Services Authority (KDLSA), in collaboration with the administration, governmental departments, stakeholders & NGOs were the organizers of the camp.
Neiko Kanuo, in his inaugural speech, said that a person who may be guilty also has the right to defend themselves and are entitled to legal aid even if they cannot afford legal representation. Going into the inception and functions of Legal Services Authorities, he said that in order that people may access justice, the Parliament had passed the Legal Services Authority Act in the year 1987. The Panel Lawyers and the Para Legal Volunteers are appointed by the state to assist people in need of legal care. Panel lawyers are usually appointed to take up Court based activities for free. Kanuo also stressed on the importance of Lok Adalats, which he said were inexpensive and attempts to ensure a speedy trial. He also appealed to the departments to create awareness on various Central as well as state centric schemes among deserving beneficiaries. He encouraged people who do not have their own lawyers to avail the free legal services of Panel Lawyers. Every district has its own front office where beneficiaries can avail legal aid, free counselling, advice on governmental schemes etc. Kanuo further added that women, children, and disabled persons can avail free legal aid anytime. He stressed on the importance of creating awareness about the Village Council Act, its powers and functions for proper administration of village development.
Delivering the keynote address, Mezivolu T Therieh, member secretary, NSLSA said that with the declaration of Kiphire as an Aspirational District, the NSLSA was happy to join hands with the departments and stake holders to initiate this camp to take the district forward. She said that when the legal services authority has been looking after the paradigm shift from legal awareness to legal empowerment, the state government through its chief secretary and commissioner has given its full support in coordinating and issuing necessary directives to its nodal departments and district administration to participate in the camp.
In his short speech, Reny Wilfred, ADC Kiphire said that the common man must be made to understand what their rights and entitlements were, and the responsibilities of each departments and institution to avail such rights. He stressed on the benefits of such camps and hoped for more mini-camps in the near future.
Setsathong, project director, DRDA delivering his short speech said that every recognised village should have a council chairman and members. He said the village councils as well as the members should organise a general meeting with the public in order to sensitize the public about different schemes in the centre as well as in the states.
The inaugural program was chaired by assistant public prosecutor Kiphire, Sentila Aier and a welcome address was pronounced by Chief Judicial Magistrate & secretary Kiphire DLSA. The program concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Limasenla Longkumer, project coordinaor, NSLSA. The Baptist Youth Endeavour Kiphire Town Baptist Lithro presented a folk song for the inaugural program. More than 3500 were benefited during the camp through Aadhaar registration and correction, schemes Under Labour department, issuance of birth certificates, bank account opening, free medical camp and issuance of disability certificates and registration of old age, disabled scholarship and schemes for widows and destitute women. More than 500 free affidavits were issued for name change and corrections by the panel lawyers during the camp.