The Premier Issue July - August 2017 A News Bulletin of Odisha State Legal Services Authority on Mass Legal Awareness Creative Spirit & Voice of the Members of StudentStudent LegalLegal LiteracyLiteracy ClubClub Inside the Issue Message of Hon’ble Patron-in-Chief throughout the State From the desk of Hon’ble Executive Chairman Spot Light - The Cover Story Skit Competition on Inauguration of State Level Skit Competition Stage Show of State Level Skit Competition Felicitation & Awards LegalAwareness District Review An initiative of OSLSA ^ýûd icÉu _ûAñ v³ee³e meye keÀs efueS ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR ALL ODISHA STATE LEGAL SERVICES AUTHORITY SO-20, Cantonment Road, Cuttack-753 001, Odisha Phone: (0671) 2307678; E-mail: [email protected] 2 / Premier Issue July-August 2017 PATRON-IN-CHIEF’S M E S S A G E Justice Vineet Saran CHIEF JUSTICE RESIDENCE Cantonment Road, Cuttack-753 001 Phone : (0671)2507808 (O) 2301703, 2301505 (R) Fax : (0671) 2301703 (R) (0671) 2508446 “Access to Justice for all”, is the motto of NALSA, and to make it a reality, NALSA as well as State Legal Services Authorities have accelerated the campaign to reach and give fair and meaningful justice to every strata of the society. Free legal services have been incorporated in the legal system, to make available the legal channels of justice to the poor. But due to illiteracy, ignorance or unawareness, a large section of our society, particularly those who live in remote rural areas, still remain deprived of the advantages of such welfare legislations and schemes. Lack of information and knowledge very often leads to deprivation of statutory entitlements and schematic benefits. For making the aforesaid mission successful and in ensuring access to justice for all, the Odisha State Legal Services Authority (OSLSA) is also striving hard in implementing various strategic and preventive legal aid schemes introduced by NALSA to reach out the benefits of the welfare enactments and social security schemes to the marginalised sections of the society. It is immensely heartening to note that, going one step ahead, OSLSA has envisioned to bring out a News Bulletin “The Awakening” with a view to spreading information on various legal literacy and awareness Hon'ble Shri Justice Vineet Saran programmes conducted by it across the State so as to spread mass legal Chief Justice, Orissa High Court awareness in each and every corner of the State. & Patron-in-Chief, OSLSA While congratulating the step taken by the OSLSA in bringing out the News Bulletin, I hope and wish that it will go a long way in achieving its purposeful mission. I wish the publication a grand success. (Vineet Saran) The Awakening / 3 DESK OF THE EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN Justice Indrajit Mahanty SO-20, Cantonment Road, Cuttack-753 001 Phone : (0671)2307678 E-mail : [email protected] FROM THE DESK OF The Executive Chairman.... The Odisha State Legal Services Authority (OSLSA) is striving to ensure that free and competent legal services are provided to the needy and less privileged sections of the Society, and the benefits of various social welfare legislations and schemes, and also the strategic and preventive schemes introduced by the National Legal Services Authority reach out to the target beneficiaries. Not a matter of complacency, but with a sense of enthusiasm I may mention here that the year 2017 so far, has witnessed spurt of activities undertaken by the OSLSA and its field units. Concerted efforts are still on to make the movement more effective and vibrant. The news bulletin “The Awakening” is one of the endeavours of the OSLSA aimed at widening the legal awareness campaign undertaken by it and its field units, and ultimately, to make the campaign in the State a mass movement. The premier issue of “The Awakening” has the exclusive coverage of the legal literacy and awareness campaign conducted through the High School students by way of Skit competitions on different socio-legal Hon'ble Shri Justice Indrajit Mahanty themes held at District, Zone and State levels. This programme was Judge, Orissa High Court & Executive Chairman, OSLSA. aimed not only to generate legal literacy and awareness but also to promote the raw talent and creativity of the student force for the cause of the legal aid seekers and the Society at large. I wish, the publication will cater to the needs of the legal service seekers. (I. Mahanty) 4 / Premier Issue July-August 2017 Initiative of OSLSA SPOT LIGHT The Skit Competition SKIT COMPETITION ON To encourage and utilize the cultural and creative spirit of the members of the Committee was constituted being chaired LEGAL AWARENESS SLLCs and as per the guidelines issued by by Hon’ble Shri Justice A.K. Parichha, the OSLSA, Skit Competitions were Former Judge, Orissa High Court with two Skit competition amongst the organized amongst the members of the esteemed members namely, Shri Ranjit SLLCs across the State on various socio- Pattnaik eminent play-wright and Shri Student Legal Literacy Clubs legal themes in July-August, 2017. Tarunkanti Rout, Assistant Station Director, on different District and Zonal Level Skit All India Radio, Cuttack. Competition Award Giving Ceremony Social Welfare Enactments At the first instance competitions were The state level competition was followed and Schemes. organized at district level, and the District by the Award Giving ceremony. The Jury best teams participated in the Zone level Committee while adjudging the competition. For the purpose of the Zonal performance of the participating teams Competitions, five zones namely East ascribed position to them and also selected Zone, West Zone, North Zone, South Zone the best Actor, best Comic Actor, best and Central Zone were formed with the Director and best Script Writer as follows: The Scheme Zonal head quarters at Cuttack, Sambalpur, 1st Best Team: Balasore, Berhampur and Dhenkanal s per the guidelines received from Govt. SSD Girls High School, respectively. Five zonal best teams namely ANALSA regarding establishment of Rayagada, District Rayagada. Student Legal Literacy Clubs (SLLCs), the SLLC, Government Girls High School, nd 2 Best Team: Odisha State Legal Services Authority has Athagarh from East Zone, SLLC, evolved a scheme in that regard with the Budharaja High School, Sambalpur from Athagarh Govt. Girls High School, objective of not only to generate legal West Zone, Rasalpur High School, Athagarh, District Cuttack. rd literacy among the student members of the Balasore from North Zone, SLLC, 3 Best Team: clubs but also to make use of the potential Government (SSD) Girls High School, Rasalpur High School, Balasore, and spirit of the young students to spread Rayagada from South zone and SLLC District Balasore. (PTC) High School, Angul from Central th legal awareness in mass, and also to 4 Best Team: encourage them to empathise and identify Zone participated in the State level Budharaja High School, Sambalpur, the problems of their fellow citizens in competition held on 19th August, 2017 at Odisha Judicial Academy, Cuttack. District Sambalpur. their neighborhood and to get the needy or th less privileged persons accessible to justice. Inauguration of State Level Skit 5 Best Team: PTC High School, Angul, District Student Legal Literacy Club Competition Angul. SLLC has been set up in high schools The state level programme was Best Actor: comprising selected students of Class-IX inaugurated by Hon’ble Shri Justice Vineet and below as members, and the number of Saran, Chief Justice, Orissa High Court and Jyotishree Acharya, Rasalpur High members may be 10 to 25. The club runs Patron-in-Chief of OSLSA, in presence of School, Balasore. under the superintendence of the Hon’ble Shri Justice Indrajit Mahanty, Best Comic Actor: Headmaster / Principal of the concerned Judge, Orissa High Court and the Satarupa Mishra, Athagarh Govt. Girls school, and under the direct guidance of a Executive Chairman, OSLSA. Other High School. teacher named “Teacher-in-Charge” to be Hon’ble Judges of the Orissa High Court Best Director: nominated by the Headmaster/Principal of and dignitaries also graced the event. P. Pratyesha Palei, Rasalpur High the School. The activities of the clubs are Besides the members of the five zonal best School, Balasore. carried out as per the scheme and the teams along with their teachers in charge Best Script Writer: guidelines issued by the State Legal and guardians etc., about 100 students of Services Authority (OSLSA) from time to 15 number of local high schools along with Gouranga Prasad Panigrahi, Govt. time through the concerned District Legal one teacher of each of those High Schools, SSD Girls High School, Rayagada Services Authority (DLSA). The School Judicial Officers etc. also attended the Then the participating teams and best Authority is required to spare programme. performers were felicitated with trophy, accommodation inside the school premises Stage Show mementos and certificates by Hon’ble Shri and provide other required infrastructure Justice Vineet Saran, Chief Justice, Orissa for the functioning of SLLC. The inaugural ceremony was followed High Court, Mrs. Uma Saran (gracious by the State Level competition. The zonal spouse of Hon’ble the Chief Justice), As of now, in every district of the best teams participated in the State Level state, SLLC has been established in 15 Hon’ble Kumari Justice Sanju Panda, Competition by staging their respective Judge, Orissa High Court and Chairperson selected schools run by Government of skits on different socio-legal themes in the Odisha involving 20-25 students of classes of Orissa High Court Legal Services Auditorium of Odisha Judicial Academy, Committee, and the members of Jury VIII and IX as members. As per the Cuttack. scheme, the DLSA concerned shall Committee. Sri B.K. Mohapatra, Member organize at least 6 legal literacy classes / Evaluation Secretary, OSLSA, extended vote of training / refresher course programmes per For the purpose of adjudging the thanks.