The legal aid-cum-legal literacy camp conducted recently at Kovilur village in Alangudi taluk in Pudukottai district evoked good response as a large number of villagers turned up and submitted grievance petitions seeking free legal assistance at the camp organised by the Alangudi Taluk Legal Services Committee in association with the non-Government organisations (NGOs) and women self-help groups (SHGs) in connection with the Legal Aid Movement day.
R.Malathi, Judicial Magistrate and Chairman of Alangudi Taluk Legal Serices Committee, who presided over the camp and received many petitions from the public for free legal assistance, said that the legal aid movement was started on April 6 in 1977 in Tamil Nadu and on this day the erstwhile Tamil Nadu State Legal Aid and Advice Board was constituted with Justice P.Ramakrishnan as the first chairman and Justice N.Krishnaswamy Reddy as first vice-chairman.
She pointed out that the legal aid movement in Tamil Nadu was a pioneer in the country functioning as a constituted body by the Tamil Nadu Government and registered under the Societies Act to provide legal assistance to the poor.
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She said the programmes of the erstwhile Legal Aid and Advice Board received wide attention and all these programmes were now adopted by the Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority for effective implementation from November 9, 1977.
Mrs Malathi said that legal aid-cum-legal literacy camps were being conducted for observing the Legal Aid Movement day as per the directions of the State Legal Services Authority and for re-dedicating to the cause of bringing out equal opportunities and equal justice through legal services.
S.P.Raja, advocate, R.Anbazhagan, Director of `Right', R.Neela, coordinator of Valarkalvi, K.Senthilraj, coordinator of ISED, Susila, secretary of Alangudi block level women SHGs and others spoke about the various programmes of legal services committee and its activities.
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