District legal Service Authority (DlSA) under the chairmanship of District Judge Biswajit Das has added yet another feather in the cap of its legal awareness programme.
Entire Rayagada district is covered under Schedule-V of Indian Constitution and primarily inhabited by Adivasis and Dalits, which constitute around 70 per cent of the district’s population.
Till date, according to official information, more than 800 villages, mostly tribals, are still inaccessible by road. In this context, there is least people’s awareness on pro-people acts like POCSO, Sexual Harassment at Work Place, Witch Hunting Act, Dowry Act, Human Trafficking Act, MGNREGA, ST SC Atrocities Act, Minimum Wages Act, Inter State Migration Rules, Right to Education Act and Right to Information Act, etc.
At this juncture, the DlSA has initiated several steps to make the people aware on these Acts at their door steps through one-act play, skit, debate, essay writing, painting competitions. All this was demonstrated by the participating groups and individuals in Krushna Chandra Nagar Bhawan at Rayagada headquarters. The programme was inaugurated by District Judge Biswajit Das and graced by other dignitaries like Collector Guha Punam Tapas Kumar and SP Rahul PR.
Selected artists from Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangapur and Malkangiri were taken in six groups who exhibited their skits for twenty minutes each on prevailing blind beliefs like sorcery-murders in the region, bride torture, human trafficking, insensitivity and biases towards girl children, etc. and legal aid available for their redressal. Similarly crisp awareness message were given through debates, essays and paintings. During the occasion, successful competitors were adjudged by Additional SP Patitapaban Choudhury, Sub-divisional Police Officer Chandrasekhar Hota, Rayagada Sub-Collector Prabir Nayak, Gunupur Sub-Collector Amrit Ruturaj and drama expert Dr Narendra Mishra.
DlSA Secretary Hrushikesh Sahoo moderated the event.