Madhubabu Aain Sahayata Yojana (MASS)
The Odisha government has launched a new scheme for legal assistance called the Madhubabu Aain Sahayata Yojana. The main objective of this scheme is to help the poor people get educated about their rights and to get them justice. This is why this new scheme will be launched at the Village Panchayat level.
Here are the key highlights of the scheme
- The poor people and the women and SC & STs will be given priority under this new scheme. They will be getting free legal aid under this scheme. The poor people and the below poverty level will get the best benefits under this scheme.
- For this reason, Sahayata Shibirs will be set up at the Panchayats. These shibirs can also be availed at the Rajiv Gandhi Bharat Nirman Seva Kendras.
So basically this is what this scheme is all about – it is about giving the poor and the needy a chance to make their case heard at the village panchayat level. They will also be educated by their assigned lawyers what their rights are and how they can be better equipped with it.
Regarding law and order of this scheme
Madhubabu was considered the first lawyer of the state. Hence this new scheme has been improvised on his name. Regarding the lawyer aspect and the matters related to the state, the following things have been decided in this scheme –
- The scheme’s main objective is to revamp the socio economic structure of the state. Therefore brining the current issues into the light and making it possible for the average citizen to get justice.
- The citizens will be provided free legal advice. In fact the legal advice will be at their doorstep. They will be provided guidance on how to carry out their legal issues in front of the Panchayat.
- A practicing lawyer with a minimum experience of 3 years would be considered for his job. They will be healing the legal cells and will work according to the recommendations of a panel that will be selected by the district collector.
- Women lawyers who are eligible will be given priority for this post. This way they can best serve the state.
- This way the legal assistance lawyer will be chosen for this job and whosoever will be chosen would receive Rs. 500 per sitting. In this time they will help the women, poor and the needy with their valuable legal counsel.
- The meetings would be held once a week since that is what is most desirable as per the recommendations of the experts of the state. It could be a Saturday or even a weekday.
- The matters related to law of the senior citizens, socially and economically backward sections and SC, ST, Women would be given priority as per this new scheme.
Implementation of the scheme
The panchayati raj system has already given its consent for the legal shibirs or the legal cells to operate. Therefore the gram rojgar sevaks and the panchayat executive heads have been handed over the task to identify those who are in need of legal assistance. Hence we can assume that the work has already begun.
Criticisms on this new scheme
The BJP and other parties are of the view that this new scheme has been doled out to mould the sentiments of the weaker sections towards the party. Hence, they have highly condemned this scheme.
However, the state has received the scheme quite well even though the scheme is yet to reach the people of the state far and wide.
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