Judge of the Supreme Court of India and Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), Hon’ble Mr. Justice Surya Kant, virtually inaugurated the Legal Services Clinic at the Rajya Sainik Board, Directorate of Sainik Welfare & Resettlement, Kohima, Nagaland, for ex-servicemen today under the NALSA scheme “Veer Parivar Sahayata Yojana.”
The inauguration coincided with the national launch of ‘NALSA Veer Parivar Sahayata Yojana – 2025’, a flagship initiative aimed at providing free and competent legal services to serving defence personnel, ex-servicemen, and their families. The scheme is a collaborative effort between NALSA, Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB), Rajya Sainik Boards (RSBs), and Zilla Sainik Boards (ZSBs), under the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (DESW), Ministry of Defence.
The nationwide inauguration of Legal Services Clinics across all States and Union Territories was held through video conference (VC) from Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, by Hon’ble Justice Surya Kant, in the presence of Hon’ble Chief Justices of various states, Minister of State for Law and Justice, Lt. Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Chief Minister of J&K, GOC-in-C Northern Command, along with other distinguished guests from the Armed Forces, paramilitary forces, and the legal fraternity.
Delivering the presidential address after launching several legal services initiatives, Justice Surya Kant emphasized the need to explore how the judiciary can contribute more directly to the well-being of soldiers, ex-servicemen, and their children.
He remarked that the legal fraternity must play its part to ensure that soldiers defending the country are not left alone to handle personal legal crises.
The new scheme addresses the difficulties faced by soldiers deployed in remote areas, who are unable to appear before courts or follow through on legal matters involving family property, domestic disputes, or land issues. Through this initiative, NALSA will ensure that such cases are properly represented in courts across the country.
In Kohima, under the aegis of the Nagaland State Legal Services Authority (NSLSA), the virtual inauguration was attended by the Director of the Rajya Sainik Board and PRO & Spokesperson of the Ministry of Defence for Manipur, Nagaland, and Southern Arunachal Pradesh, Lt. Col. Amit Shukla; NSLSA Member Secretary, Neiko Akami, NJS; retired paramilitary personnel; and panel lawyers.
The Legal Services Clinic at the RSB Nagaland has been established in collaboration with NSLSA and aims to address the unique legal challenges faced by the Armed Forces community, including issues related to pensions, service benefits, family disputes, property rights, and other civil grievances.