Anantnag: Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju Thursday said that the government was committed to provide access to justice for all.
An official spokesman in a statement issued on Press Information Bureau (PIB) said inaugurating the Legal Literary Club and interacting with the students at Government Higher Secondary School, Aishmuqam, Rijiju said that the government was committed to provide access to justice for all citizens.
He said that access to justice enables citizens to have their voices heard, exercise their rights, and challenge discrimination.
Rijiju said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jammu and Kashmir was on a rapid path of development and the government was making every effort to ensure that the benefit reaches the rightful beneficiaries at the ground level.
He said that the constitution contains the law of the land and it was necessary that youth were aware of the various legal rights and welfare services guaranteed to them adding that legal literacy clubs would breed the right attitude in young minds to be ambassadors of rights of people especially the down trodden.
Rijiju inspected the under-construction court complex of the Additional Special Mobile Magistrate Pahalgam and was informed that work on the complex was under execution in full force and would be completed ahead of the stipulated timeline.
He also visited Hardu Kichru village where a special legal services camp was held for awareness of different schemes, identification of beneficiaries and respective departments and distribution entitlements to the beneficiaries.
Rijiju said that the legal services camp was organised as part of the initiative of providing justice at the doorsteps of the public.
He and Chief Justice of J&K and Ladakh High Court, Justice Ali Muhammad Magrary interacted with beneficiaries of various schemes and distributed certificates and cheques among them.
A special Lok Adalat bench presided by Secretary District Legal Services Authority Anantnag Mir Wajahat and Man Mohan Kumar was constituted in the village where many cases were settled on the spot.
In his speeches at different programmes during the day Justice Magrey said that access to justice was not confined to the court based legal services.
“It extends to making people aware about their entitlements under various enactments and welfare schemes and programmes and strengthening their access to the same,” he said.
Justice Magrey said that the State Legal Services Authority and various District Legal Service Authorities had played a pivotal part to ensure people have access to legal advice.
He said that the Legal Services Authorities would continue to organise legal services camps in the villages.
Justice Magray said that the Students Legal Literacy Clubs’ were being formed with an aim to spread knowledge of the legal rights and duties among the students who in turn could raise awareness among the poor and needy to not only mitigate their problems but to get out of problems absolutely.
He said that the legal literacy and legal services programmes were essential as it was the knowledge of the law that could be used as a tool by vulnerable groups to understand and evaluate the law, to get acquainted with the scope of their rights under the law, and get their rights enforced by taking action, and bringing the legal machinery into force.
Justice Magrey said that being a part of the largest democracy, knowledge of law serves the people with the tool of power and self-realisation and unless the people are aware of rights, they cannot live in consonance with the true dictates of democracy and rule of law.