CJI Surya Kant stresses need to dismantle barriers to justice, welfare access during historic Ri Bhoi outreach visit

CORRESPONDENT

NONGPOH: During his first-ever visit to Ri Bhoi district on Saturday, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant underscored the urgent need to bring justice delivery systems and welfare mechanisms closer to the people, asserting that constitutional rights often remain inaccessible because of structural and procedural barriers despite the existence of multiple legal aid and welfare schemes.

Participating as the chief guest at the Mega Camp-cum-Awareness Programme on the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) Schemes and Government Welfare Schemes held at Madan Heh in Marngar, the Chief Justice said the initiative reflected the idea that access to justice and welfare “should not depend on a citizen’s ability to navigate distant and complicated systems”. He emphasised that institutions must move closer to the people they are meant to serve.

The Meghalaya High Court, in collaboration with the Meghalaya State Legal Services Authority, organised the programme. Supreme Court Judge Ujjal Bhuyan attended the event as the guest of honour, along with Meghalaya High Court Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere, Meghalaya Law Minister Lakmen Rymbui, Justice H. S. Thangkhiew, Nongpoh MLA Mayralborn Syiem, senior government officials and members of the public from Ri Bhoi district.

During the programme, the Chief Justice distributed assistive devices to persons with disabilities and handed over cheques and work orders to various Self-Help Groups and Village Organisations.

Recalling his earlier visit to Meghalaya during his tenure as Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority, Justice Surya Kant appreciated the efforts of the Meghalaya State Legal Services Authority in organising the outreach initiative and acknowledged the role played by government departments, judicial officers, para-legal volunteers, civil society organisations and community stakeholders.

Sharing an experience from his tenure as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, he narrated how a construction worker had struggled for nearly a year to secure disability and welfare benefits for his injured wife because of procedural hurdles, lack of awareness and technological barriers. Following legal intervention, the family eventually received the benefits to which they were entitled.

The Chief Justice observed that the incident continued to remind him that barriers such as distance, language, procedure and technology often prevent citizens from accessing justice and welfare schemes. According to him, “the real challenge is not the absence of schemes, but whether the system is capable of reaching people where they are.”

Emphasising the broader meaning of access to justice, he stated that despite the existence of legal aid frameworks and welfare schemes, many citizens remain excluded because of structural barriers. He noted that lack of awareness remains one of the biggest challenges, particularly in geographically remote areas where people are often unaware of their entitlement to free legal aid and social welfare benefits.

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