Kaneez Fatima inaugurates Legal Aid Centre at Central Jail

SRINAGAR: After inaugurating the Free Legal Aid Centre sponsored by District Legal Services Authority Centre in the premises of Central Jail, Srinagar, the Principal District and Session Judge, Srinagar and the Chairperson, District Legal Services Authority Srinagar, Justice Kaneez Fatima highlighted the main objective of establishing the Free Legal Aid Center in the Premises of Central Jail Srinagar.
She said the basic purpose of opening of this branch in the Jail premises is to provide justice to the jail inmates particularly those belonging to the backward classes, poor, needy and who do not afford to knock the doors of the courts due to poverty and financial crunch. She said the free aid clinics are being established under a National Action Plan, a welfare scheme of the Supreme Court to provide justice on the doorsteps of the common people without any hindrance.
Additional District and Session Judge, TADA and POTA, Mr. Muzaffar Ahmad Iqbal Qureshi, Additional District and Session Judge, Mr. R. K. Watal, Additional District and Session Judge, Mr. Sham Lal Lalher, Special Judge Anti-corruption, Mr. Ajaz Ahmad Mir, Additional District and Session Judge, Mr. Madan Lal, Additional District and Session Judge, Mr. Kotwal, DIG, Prisons, J&K Mr. Mohammad Sultan Lone, SP Central Jail Srinagar Mr. S. P. Sharma and staff officer Mr. Javed Ahmad Masood Fazli and number of other dignitaries and jail inmates were present on the occasion.
Justice Fatima asked the people to avail the services being provided by Legal Services Authorities with regard to settlement of various disputes, jail related matters, medical facilities and other vital issues. She said that three such free aid legal centres have already been established in Faqir Gujri, Dhara and New Theed and under the National Action Plan , more such centres will be established in the coming future in colleges and universities and villages so that those people who are living from hand to mouth with the meager amount and are not financially sound would be benefitted by free legal services.
Justice Fatima said that the inmates can utilize the services of the para-legal voluntaries to approach the retain lawyers for redressing their grievances within no time free of cost.
She said the benefits of establishing these free legal clinics have already started to reach to the common people in terms of restoration of transport, health, and road connectivity facilities in the far-flung areas of the city by taking up these matters with the district administration.
She said the main purpose of establishing these centres is to educate the weaker sections of the society about their rights as well as to encourage the settlement by providing legal aid. She said that free legal assistance can also be rendered in complying with various legal requirements to secure the benefits under various schemes MGNREGA, RTI, SGA, sponsored by the State government or by other public authority. She said that the illiterate classes of society weak, backward and downtrodden are not expected to know their constitution which has guaranteed them some valuable rights which are fundamental in nature. Such of the rights which pertain to right to livelihood and right to live with dignity and honour are very important for this lower class of the society, as we may call it.
On the occasion, Additional District and Session Judge Mr. R. K. Watal also spoke.