Justice Tashi Rabstan inaugurates Village Legal Care, Support Centre at Kishtwar’s Atholi Paddar

Kishtwar : In a significant stride towards enhancing legal awareness and strengthening the legal education in the remote regions of Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Justice (A), High Court of J&K and Ladakh, Justice Tashi Rabstan on Saturday inaugurated a Village Legal Care & Support Centre (Legal Aid Clinic) at Atholi, Paddar, Kishtwar.
Upon his arrival, Justice Tashi, who was accompanied by M. K. Sharma, Principal Secretary and Amit Kumar Gupta, Member Secretary, J&K Legal Services Authority was accorded warm reception by Amit Kumar Baghat, SDM Paddar, Manjeet Singh Katal, Tehsildar, Romesh Lal, Secretary DLSA Kishtwar, Arvind Manhas, District Mobile Magistrate, Pawan Sharma, Additional SP, Ravindar Parihar, SDPO Paddar, Sanveer Singh, Assistant LADC, Staff of DLSA Kishtwar along with two Para Legal Volunteers.
A ceremonial guard of honour was also accorded to the Chief Justice.
Speaking on the occasion, Justice Tashi underscored the importance of Legal Aid Clinics and said that the opening of such clinics will prove a boon for the local population of the area, as it is a remote and far-flung portion of district Kishtwar and people have to travel a long distance to reach district headquarter for the redressal of even a small grievance. He exhorted the Para Legal Volunteers to work with dedication and ensure all out support to the legal aid seekers.
Subsequently, the Chief Justice also inaugurated a Legal Literacy Club at Hr. Secondary School, Paddar, Kishtwar besides presiding over a Legal Awareness programme focusing on the Rights and Duties of Citizens under the Constitution of India.
While inaugurating the Legal Literacy Club, Justice Tashi interacted with the teacher incharge of the club as well as the students who have volunteered to be members of the Club and impressed upon them to become ambassadors of Legal Services Institutions in spreading the legal awareness not only among their peer groups but also among the common masses so that the motto of Legal Services Authority “Access to Justice for All” reaches the last man standing in the queue.
In his inaugural address, Justice Tashi while appreciating the performances of the students of various institutions said that the display of talent by them shows that the children of Paddar area do not lag behind and if given a chance can compete with the students of other parts of India.
The event also featured vibrant cultural performances by students from different schools. During the programme students of Himalayan Cultural High School presented a welcome group dance followed by a scintillating Paddar folk Dance performed by students of HSS Paddar.
The female students of Govt Girls Higher Secondary School Ligri presented a patriotic group performance and students of Middle School Gulabgarh showcased the diversity of the area through a group dance. In the event, one student delivered a talk on RTI Act while the other made a presentation on the importance of Legal Awareness among the students.
These initiatives like establishment of Village Legal Care & Support Centre and Legal Literacy Clubs underscore the commitment of the Legal Service Institutions in J&K to empower the younger generation with legal knowledge, fostering a future of informed and responsible citizens promoting legal awareness and strengthening the legal framework for the benefit of all citizens.
The proceedings of the programme were conducted by Narveer Singh, Teacher Incharge, Legal Literacy Club and formal vote of thanks was presented by Sanveer Singh, Assistant LADC.