Calcutta High Court Justice TS Sivagnanam addressing the gathering at a meeting organized by the State Legal Services Authority, in Kolkata on Friday. , Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The State Legal Services Authority, West Bengal on Friday, February 10, 2023 launched ‘Bhorsa’, an initiative to provide succor to survivors of acid attack, domestic violence and trafficking among others from their own premises.
BhorsaConceived three years ago in February 2019 to provide assistance like psychological counselling, lodging of FIRs, compensation applications to victims, the initiative began on Friday from the premises of SLSA, WB, at the City Civil Court building in the heart of the city. City in the vicinity of the Calcutta High Court.
Justice TS Sivagnanam of the Calcutta High Court and Executive President SLSA, West Bengal, explained the decision to provide services of “Bhorsa” from the new premises, saying that its earlier office was mainly in a residential area which suffered from “local disadvantage”. was suffering I will not say that it was not successful, but it did not give the desired results,” Justice Sivagnanam said, adding that he hoped that the shifting of the center would definitely help the people for whom the initiative is aimed.
During his address at the new launch of the scheme, Justice Sivagnanam referred to his interactions with Chief Justice of India UU Lalit on various issues related to legal aid when he was the acting chairman of NALSA (National Legal Services Authority). He said that Justice Lalit had then suggested a model implemented in Hyderabad where legal aid is mainly provided by the police, however, as of now the SLSA officials here have decided to go with the “West Bengal model”. . Justice Sivagnanam said the survivors at Bhorsa would get complete privacy and free psychological counselling.
Appreciating the pro bono work done by SLSA, West Bengal by various stakeholders, he said that soon two SOPs (Standard Operating Procedure) will be in place to organize camps in different districts where the activities of ‘Bhorsa’ initiative can be taken up in a big way. can be increased. population. Justice Sivagnanam, who attended the event along with other judges of the High Court, described the recently launched Legal Aid Defense Counseling System in 16 districts of the state as one of the success stories of SLSA, West Bengal.