Minister suggests community-based legal system for justice to poor

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Hyderabad, Jan 17 (UNI) Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh today wanted all states, particulary the naxalite-infested ones to emulate Andhra Pradesh, which has evolved a system at the grassroots level involving self-help groups(SHG) and para-legal proffessionals for protection of their land.

Participating in the All India Law Ministers and Law Secretaries Conference here, he held the lack of legal awareness and absence of legal support responsible for tribals losing their land to non-tribals, despite of many pro-poor land legislations.

Legal assistance was imperative to ensure justice, he noted calling for replication of the AP model of facilitating SHGs at the village, mandal and district level to enable them to take advantage of the Government's pro-poor land legislations through a sensitive support mechanism, involving para-legal professionals.

''Giri Nyayam'' was implemented through the ''Indira Kranthi Patham' in 76 mandals, covering more than 50 per cent of the tribals by the Integrated Tribal Development agencies, he said, adding that under the scheme Mandal Samakyas were training tribal women and youth as para-legal functionaries to disseminate legal information to members of the community and take care of pre-litigative work, including gathering necessary information on cases and issues, conducting local enquiry and follow up cases in the courts.

SHGs have identified one community resource person in each revenue village to physically verify all land in the village, he added.

UNI

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