By NE NOW NEWS
Guwahati: Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant on Saturday said that legal aid services and welfare programmes need to work in coordination so that the benefits of government schemes reach people at the grassroots level without delay.
He was speaking after inaugurating an awareness camp in Meghalaya’s Ri Bhoi district. He also serves as the patron-in-chief of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).
He noted that facilities related to healthcare, education support, income generation, and rehabilitation are being integrated through such outreach programmes to improve access for people in remote areas.
The event, a combined camp and awareness initiative on NALSA and government welfare schemes, was organised at Marngar under the theme “Bridging the Gap”. It was conducted by the High Court of Meghalaya and the Meghalaya State Legal Services Authority (MSLSA), with support from the state government.
Justice Surya Kant said that various welfare schemes run by different departments should be brought together at a single platform so that citizens can access them more easily.
He also called for stronger coordination among institutions to improve justice delivery and noted the importance of para-legal volunteers in extending legal aid services to rural communities, stressing that their network should be further strengthened.
Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan said that traditional systems of dispute resolution should be harmonised with the constitutional legal framework. He also appreciated Meghalaya’s customary practices and made a light-hearted reference to Ri Bhoi’s pineapple farming, praising the warmth of the local people.
Meghalaya Law Minister Lahkmen Rymbui said the MSLSA has prepared a dedicated state-level plan tailored to local conditions while remaining aligned with national laws and policies to address public issues more effectively.
Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court Justice Revati Mohite Dere said the programme aimed to take legal services directly to people in their own localities. She added that access to justice should not be limited by geography and noted that 14 such camps have been held across nine districts over the past five years, benefiting a large number of people.
During the programme, assistive devices were distributed to persons with disabilities, while financial aid and project-related orders were handed over to self-help groups and village organisations.
Certificates were also awarded to legal aid advocates and para-legal volunteers for their work in 2025.
The programme concluded with High Court judges Justice H.S. Thangkhiew and Justice W. Diengdoh formally launching multi-utility vehicles under the NALSA Grant-in-Aid scheme.