Legal awareness programme held in Phodong

MANGAN, 17 Nov: The Sikkim State Legal Services Authority [SSLSA] in association with District Legal Services Authority organized a day-long Legal Awareness programme here at the playground of Government Senior Secondary School, Phodong, North Sikkim on Saturday.
The basic aim of the programme was to disseminate information on the legal assistance provided by State Legal Service Authority and to make local residents aware of some of the flagship schemes of the government.
Justice Narendra Kumar Jain, Acting Chief Justice, High Court of Sikkim-cum-Patron in Chief, SSLSA attended the programme as the chief guest along with his wife Mrs. Jain.
Justice Jain in his short address expressed his happiness on being part of the programme and stated that SSLSA has been performing well since its inception.
Highlighting the three basic objectives of SSLSA – Legal Awareness, Legal Aid and ADRs centers he added that all these facilities are meant for the common people in order to instill legal awareness among them and settle disputes at the ADRs centre free of cost.
Justice SP Wangdi, Judge High Court of Sikkim-cum-Executive Chairman, SSLSA gave a background of SSLSA and stated that the fundamental objective of the authority is to make legal services accessible to those who have been deprived of their legal rights and to deliver speedy justice through the help of Taluk Legal Services and Para-legal Volunteers.
Minister Water Security & PHE/ Transport Department-cum-Area MLA, TT Bhutia, in his address expressed his happiness at SSLSA organizing such a pro-public programme in his constituency and hoped that the programme will create more legal awareness among locals. He urged the gathering to make use of the information given by the resource persons.
District Magistrate, North, CP Dhakal thanked SSLSA on behalf of the District Administration and appealed to every individual of the district to join hands in promoting tourism in the state.
During the programme, resource person, Mahesh Sharma [Assistant Controller, Food & Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department] informed about issues related to consumer rights.
GD Sharma [Social Justice, Empowerment and Welfare Department], Parim Linzerpa [HEO, Health Care & Human Services & Family Welfare Department] and Tenzing G. Kaleon [ ADC (Dev), RMDD] spoke on their respective subjects.
Tashi Rapten Barfungpa [Panel Advocate, SSLSA] spoke on Protection of Women under Domestic Violence Act 2005 and Legal Rights of Women. Ujwal Kala Kendra, Gangtok also presented a skit on consumer protection Act and Legal services.