Adding another feather in its cap, District legal Services Authority (DlSA), Ranchi, has been awarded the best DlSA (Eastern Zone) for second consecutive year by Chief Justice of India Tirath Singh Thakur at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Thursday.
The award is given by National legal Services Authority (NAlSA) on the occasion of legal Services Day on November 9 every year to the best DlSA in the country which excels in the field of mediation, Bal Adalat, victim compensation, NAlSA’s seven schemes, differently-abled persons, legal aid to prisoners, eradication of witch practices, opening legal services clinics and legal literacy clubs, lok adalat, jail adalat, national lok adalat, observation homes and permanent lok adalat.
States coming under Eastern Zone are – Utter Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Andaman and Nikobar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal.
“DlSA Ranchi is the most popular across the country in the field of lok Adalat, victim compensation and mediation having a success rate of 73 per cent in mediation. Moreover, 7 schemes of NAlSA are also being implemented here in a very concerted manner,” said Jharkhand High Court Judge cum Executive Chairman of JHAlSA Justice DN Patel.
The DlSA work for senior citizens, mentally retarded and children has been excellent. “It has been very satisfying,” he said. “The track record of successful mediation was one of the criteria upon which the State scored over others. We have settled even government cases through mediation. The message is that there are a huge number of cases which could be settled through mediation, even those cases where the government is one of the parties,” he pointed out.
Throwing light over the concept of compensation to a victim provided under Sec 357-A of the CrPC, he said that the State first happens to be a police Atate and then a welfare State. “So, it is the State’s liability to protect a citizen. And when it fails and a crime is committed against an individual, it is the State’s responsibility to pay compensation to a victim,” he said.
Justice Patel further added that Bal lok Adalat was also organized for the first time in the State where more than 250 cases were disposed of in a single day on September 30.
“The award was given by looking at the overall performance of DlSA Ranchi which is really motivating for all of us,” Justice Patel said.
Justice Patel also pointed out that a lok Adalat for teaching and non-teaching staff was being organized on December 10 where all the cases related to the universities in Jharkhand will be taken up to dispose them of. “Similarly, legal literacy clubs in 500 schools will be opened on the same day for which time and date was yet to be fixed,” said Justice Patel.