Jamshedpur, Sept. 2: Legal battles will not pinch the pockets of poor litigants anymore. The State Legal Services Authority (SLSA) has decided to open a legal clinic for them in the city later this month.

Emboldened by the success of legal clinics in Ranchi and Dhanbad, the SLSA has selected the city as a venue for a legal clinic.

Sources said legal clinics would be shortly opened in Bokaro, Deogarh, Gumla and Dumka also.

SLSA member secretary D.G.R. Patnaik confirmed that the legal clinic would be inaugurated in the city this month. “The success of legal clinics in Ranchi and Dumka has made us to proceed further in starting more such clinics in other cities, including Jamshedpur,” he said.

He added that the notification of the clinic would be issued on the day of inauguration.

Cases of civil as well as criminal nature would be taken up by the clinic. “The legal clinic would provide a platform to poor litigants who want to seek our advice,” Patnaik said.

Patnaik said a panel of lawyers belonging to the local court would advice the poor litigants on their rights and legal matters. The panel would also suggest ways of fighting a particular case and, if a litigant is willing, the lawyers in the panel can also take up their cases.

Patnaik added that the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) would select the panel of lawyers. The legal advice and service would be provided free of cost, he added.

Patnaik said free legal service would be made in accordance with provisions made under Section 12 of the Legal Services Authority Act of 1987. The legal clinic would come up on the court premises for the convenience of the litigants, he added.

“The effort is to make poor people aware of their legal rights and help them fight their respective cases without any burden of expenses,” Patnaik said, adding that the SLSA would also bear the cost of lawyers and court fees.

He pointed out that the litigants would have to fulfil certain eligibility criteria laid down by the SLSA. The main criteria being that the annual income of the litigant should not be more than Rs 12,000. The litigant shall also have to submit an affidavit for the same in the clinic, he added. The claim would be verified by the DLSA.

Patnaik said a wide network of SLSA would take care of the legal expenses and other related matters if the case is referred outside the district.

“The panel of lawyers would chip in with the names of their colleagues who are stationed outside the city or district where the case of a litigant is being fought. All the legal expenses of the litigants would be taken care of by the SLSA,” Patnaik said.