Hoshiarpur- As per the guidelines of Member Secretary of Punjab State Legal Services Authority and under the orders of District and Sessions Judge-cum-District Legal Services Authority Chairman Dilbag Singh Johal, CJM-cum-District Legal Services Authority Secretary Rajpal Rawal organized Jail Lok Adalat in the local Central Jail, in which cases of minor crimes were heard and those cases were settled on the spot.
Along with this, the cleanliness of the jail and the food prepared in the kitchen were reviewed and the condition of the patients admitted in the hospital was ascertained. On this occasion, Legal Aid Defense Council President Vishal Kumar and Council Assistant Niharika were also present. Similarly, CJM-cum-District Legal Services Authority Secretary Rajpal Rawal organized a seminar in Legal Literacy Club Government Senior Secondary School Jejo. On this occasion, he informed the students about “Punjab Crime Victim Compensation Scheme 2017” and “Compensation Scheme 2018 for Women/Girls Victims of Sexual Harassment/Other Crimes”.
He informed that front offices have been opened at all district and sub-division levels in Punjab. If any person wants to file a case in the court regarding his problem, then the authority provides free legal aid under the eight categories given in the Free Legal Service Authority Act 1987, which includes women, children below 18 years of age, prisoners, victims/destitute of natural disasters like flood/earthquake, mentally ill, industrial workers, SC/ST, transgender and every person whose annual income is less than Rs 3 lakh can go to the front office and get free legal aid by filling the application form through retainer advocate and para legal volunteer.
The lawyer appointed to plead the case of the person who is provided free legal aid by the authority is paid case fees, Talwana and witness expenses and other miscellaneous expenses by the authority. The principal and teachers of the school were specially present on this occasion. In the end, promotional material related to free legal services was distributed by Rakesh Kumar Sevadar, employee of District Legal Services Authority Hoshiarpur.