Haryana to set up Legal Literacy Clubs in schools/colleges

by Haryananewswire (Balbir)

CHANDIGARH, SEPT 8

With a view to create awareness amongst the youth about their rights and to groom them as responsible citizens, Haryana State Legal Services Authority (HSLSA) will establish Legal Literacy Clubs in all schools, colleges, medical and polytechnic institutes of the State. Also, lessons of law would be introduced in all schools and colleges from next academic session.

          Mr Justice Satish Kumar Mittal, Judge,Punjab and Haryana High Court and Executive Chairman of HSLSA said this while laying foundation stone of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Centre in Kaithal today. He said that a tower of justice would be built in Gurgaon for 50 courts, wherein District ADR centre in an area of 20,000 square feet would be housed on ground floor.

          He said that Legal Literacy Clubs had already been opened by HSLSA in 1544 schools and 171 colleges of the State and steps were being taken to open such clubs in all private schools, colleges, technical, educational and medical institutions. He said that 812 advocates were on the panel of District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) and Sub-Divisional Legal Services Committees (SDLSCs) and there were 2833 Para Legal Volunteers (PLVs) out of which about  20 per cent were women in Haryana. Directions had been issued to DLSAs and SDLSCs to involve more women Para-Legal Volunteers for spreading legal awareness amongst women and to help single women.

          He said that in order to reach senior citizens, missing children, single women, differently-abled persons, unorganised labourers, migrant labourers, trafficked children and child labour, about ten Legal Aid Clinics in the urban areas of each district were being established  in Old Age Homes, hospitals, Nari Niketans, office of Resident Welfare Association, slum areas, industrial areas and labour colonies. He said that 530 Legal Aid Clinics had been established in the villages, Primary Health Centres, Protection Officer’s office, Jails, Courts and Law Colleges in the State.

          He said that in order to improve Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanism, HSLSA would set up District ADR Centres in all judicial districts of State with funds provided by 13th Finance Commission. These ADR centres would be set up with an objective to have a permanent single place, where disputes could be resolved by any of the ADR processes like arbitration, conciliation, Lok Adalat or mediation. He said that as Primary Health Centres have proved beneficial to the health sector, District ADR Centres would play an important role in legal aid and legal service sector.  These centres would provide the option to parties to settle their matters in satisfactory manner. He said that sites have already been identified in all the districts of Haryana and lay out plans of these Centres have been approved by Building Committee of Punjab and Haryana High Court in 14 districts. He said that model plan of District ADR centre prepared by Architect Department, Haryana has been approved by HALSA.