CJ addresses legal awareness session at Namprikdang

MANGAN, 16 June: A daylong legal awareness session was held here at Namprikdang in Upper Dzongu today by the Sikkim State Legal Services Authority. The function was chaired by Chief Justice PD Dinakaran of the High Court of Sikkim who is also the Patron-in-Chief of the Sikkim State Legal Services Authority. He was accompanied by Justice SP Wangdi of the High Court, Sonam Gyatso Lepcha, Power Minister, Khamsoong Lepcha, North Zilla Adhyaksha, DC [North] TN Kaxi, SP, panchayat and zilla members, officials from the State Legal Services Authority.
The function started with a welcome speech by the DC, following which the Chief Justice introduced the gathered people to the Legal Service Authority and stressed that access to legal recourse was among the basic needs of the society like education and health. 

He also explained why legal awareness was important and stressed that citizens aware of their rights and duties also had access to justice. He also observed today that given the geographical location and remoteness of North District, people here required more PHC’s and health centres for which he directed the DC to make a programme for the same. 
Commenting on the implementation of MGNREGA, the CJ said that unlike other states, schemes were not being misused here.
Justice Wangdi also spoke on legal awareness and the need for democracy to have alert citizens.
The function also included talks by resource persons like Dr. Dupzor Lepcha and one from Sikkim State AIDS Control Society spoke on HIV/AIDS.
The DDO North spoke on MGNREGA while Mahesh Sharma spoke on consumer Rights.
The Power Minister urged all the people in attendance to convey what they learned at the session today with others in their respective localities.
The function concluded with the vote of thanks proposed by Matilda Isaacs, Joint Secretary, SSLSA.