A legal aid service programme was conducted for the benefit of veterans in Uttarakhand at the initiative taken by Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) head and the State Government in coordination with State Legal Services Authority at Ranikhet on the weekend.
The programme was organised for the ex-servicemen of Uttarakhand under the guidance of AFT chairman, justice Virender Singh.
The aim of the programme was to enhance awareness of the rights and benefits available to armed forces personnel, ex-servicemen and their family members and also acquaint the ex-servicemen with the purpose, jurisdiction and functioning of the AFT.
Uttarakhand and Haryana are the two States which have included ex-servicemen in the list of persons eligible for free legal aid service under Section 12 of Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. Justice Singh delivered the inaugural address on the occasion while major general Praveen Kumar, the judge advocate general of Indian Army, Air Marshal BBP Sinha, member of AFT, Lucknow and Shailendra Sharma 'Atal' senior Central Government counsel also addressed the gathering.
A large number of veterans from various parts of Uttarakhand had turned up for the event to derive maximum benefit from this initiative, informed the PRO Defense Wing (Lucknow).