Itanagar: Supreme Court judges B R Gavai and Ujjal Bhuyan will attend a Mega Legal Awareness Programme camp in Arunachal Pradesh on March 29 and 30.
The “mega legal awareness programme camp-cum-sewa apke dwar” aims to strengthen legal outreach and awareness among tribal communities in Dirang and Bomdila in West Kameng District and Tawang.
The Legal Awareness Programme seeks to bridge the legal gap by ensuring access to justice, rights, and welfare benefits.
The Arunachal Pradesh State Legal Services Authority, in collaboration with District Legal Services Authorities, district administration, goan burhas, self-help groups and the District Child Protection Unit, West Kamang, is organising the legal awareness camp.
Justice Gavai is the executive chairman of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).
As part of the visit, Justices Gavai and Bhuyan will visit a jail and a children’s home in Tawang, engaging with vulnerable groups to assess their legal needs and ensure access to justice.
“These camps are being organised for dissemination of information to the tribal communities for their legal empowerment under various key laws such as the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, the Assam Frontier (Administration of Justice) Regulation, 1945, and the Arunachal Pradesh Civil Court Act, 2021,” the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) stated.
Under section 12 (a) of the Legal Service Authorities Act, 1987, legal aid is a guaranteed right for the Scheduled Tribes (STs), ensuring their inclusion in the justice system.
In 2024, over 1.3 lakh tribal individuals benefitted from free legal aid, reinforcing NALSA’s commitment to justice for all.
“In Arunachal Pradesh, as per the 2011 Census, over 68 per cent of the population belongs to tribal communities, highlighting the pressing need for targeted legal initiatives to safeguard their rights and ensure their welfare,” NALSA said.
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The participants will receive on-the-spot legal assistance, enabling immediate access to legal aid, grievance redressal, and welfare benefits, the release added.
Additionally, awareness will be raised about NALSA’s Protection and Enforcement of Tribal Rights Scheme (2015), Arunachal Pradesh State Legal Services Authority initiatives and various central and state welfare schemes.
