Chandigarh: Taking legal assistance beyond courtrooms to marginalised sections, the State Legal Services Authority (SLSA), UT Chandigarh, in collaboration with the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), is observing National Legal Services Week through outreach visits to institutions housing vulnerable groups.Following National Legal Services Day on Nov 9, the week-long drive began with visits to the model jail, the observation home, and Ashiana, the senior citizens’ shelter home.SLSA member secretary Dr Parminder Kaur said the visits aim to interact with inmates and residents, understand their grievances, and assess if their legal rights and entitlements are protected. The authorities also seek to identify gaps in service delivery and take remedial steps.“The initiative aims to spread awareness about free legal services and ensure that weaker and marginalised sections can access justice without financial or procedural barriers,” Dr Kaur said.She noted that legal aid goes beyond providing a lawyer to those who cannot afford one, helping people overcome practical hurdles in asserting their rights.“In cases where a person needed to establish ownership of a property but did not have the required documents, merely providing legal representation would not be sufficient. Legal aid counsels, retainers and para legal volunteers (PLVs) assist beneficiaries in identifying and obtaining the necessary documents and completing formalities before legal proceedings are initiated. Assistance continues during the proceedings as well,” she added.Besides representation, the legal services machinery offers legal advice, facilitates access to government welfare schemes and statutory entitlements, and promotes amicable dispute settlements.The SLSA operates under Punjab and Haryana high court judge and executive chairperson Justice Anoop Chitkara, while the DLSA functions under district and sessions judge Sunil Kumar.Who is eligible & where to applyFree legal services are available to members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, victims of human trafficking or begar, women, children, persons with disabilities, industrial workmen, persons in custody, and victims of mass disasters, violence, or calamities.Individuals with an annual income below Rs 3 lakh (for cases in courts other than the Supreme Court) and transgender persons under applicable policies are also eligible.Eligible applicants can approach the SLSA front office at the Additional Deluxe Building, Sector 9, or the DLSA front office at the District Courts Complex, Sector 43.
