4 min readPuneSep 27, 2024 07:49 PM IST
First published on: Sep 27, 2024 at 07:49 PM IST
A few days ago, the Pune District Legal Services Authority (PDLSA) team discovered around 450 orphaned children from the Pardhi tribe being rehabilitated at Krantiveer Chapekar Smarak Samiti in Chinchwad, without basic documents such as birth certificates, domicile certificates and Aadhaar cards. PDLSA secretary Sonal Patil promptly formed a committee, consisting of a doctor from Sassoon Hospital, a tehsildar, and a government official from the collectorate office.
The doctor was tasked with conducting free medical tests and preparing birth certificates once the children’s ages were verified. The tehsildar was responsible for issuing domicile certificates, while the government official issued Aadhaar cards to all the children.
Patil said such cases highlight where PDLSA steps in to provide legal aid and assistance with government schemes for marginalised communities. “These children were orphaned and had no official birthplace. Since they were sheltered at the Samiti, we issued their domicile certificates based on that location,” she said.
Patil also shared another case of a woman in her mid-30s from Mulshi, who approached the PDLSA, describing how she was harassed by her husband during the Covid pandemic and forced into sex work. “She was a victim of domestic violence, and her husband forced her to stay outside at night. We assessed her situation, provided her with legal aid, including a lawyer, and helped her find employment and access social assistance through our campaign,” she said.
To tackle similar severe cases from rural areas, the Pune District Legal Services Authority (PDLSA) launched the Nyay Sanhita Project on September 21 at the Pune District Court. This initiative aims to provide marginalised communities in 365 villages across Pune’s rural areas with legal aid and access to government welfare schemes.
PDLSA, in collaboration with Rotaract 3131, an NGO, will visit 365 villages over the next year, aiming to provide legal aid through resources and awareness programmes on central and state welfare schemes.
The team has already started visiting villages such as Bhor, Saswad, Daund, and Baramati, as was planned for the first phase of the initiative. The community service will primarily focus on issues such as child labour, women and child trafficking, and welfare schemes for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, transgender people, and other marginalised groups.
The official convenor of the project and secretary of PDLSA Sonal Patil stated that the project has three main objectives: providing legal aid, availing the benefits of government and NALSA schemes, and offering basic medical attention to rural communities.
“Our vision is to empower the local communities of Pune to live with dignity and access their entitled rights and services. This mission will bridge the gap between the villagers and the available legal, medical, and scheme-related resources,” she said.
Mobile medical units will offer free basic medical tests and facilities to the villagers as part of the NGO’s initiative.
Patil explained that Nyay Sanhita aims to empower people by advising them on how to rightfully claim their entitlements and ensuring timely redressal of their issues. “It seeks to connect the poor and marginalised sections of society, even reaching the remotest person, through a dedicated pool of panel lawyers to ensure their rights guaranteed by the constitution,” she added.
Patil also noted that this is part of the mission for access to justice under the chairmanship of Mahendra K Mahajan, Principal District and Sessions Judge, Pune.
Patil said such cases highlight where PDLSA steps in to provide legal aid and assistance with government schemes for marginalised communities. (Representative image) 
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