Bhubaneswar, Feb. 6: A Class X student, who belongs to the scheduled caste category, has not been getting her stipend since she was in Class VIII.

The girl, a resident of Old Town, today lodged a complaint at a kiosk, set up by the Khurda district legal aid cell along with the Odisha State Legal Service Authority, in the ongoing Adivasi Mela at Unit-I.

Members at the kiosk are helping people on various aspects related to legal matters. People, who cannot afford the service of lawyers, can take the cell's help. The cell provides legal aid to people, including poor, downtrodden, women and children, free of cost. Here, visitors are provided with information through oral explanations and distribution of leaflets and write-ups.

Like the girl, therefore, many a visitor is lodging complaints at the kiosk, where people are being educated about the role of the legal aid cell, legal service authority and the mediation centres.

United Nations Development Programme legal associate Ajay Kumar Rout, who operates the kiosk, said people even lodged their complaints with them and the legal aid cell tried to provide them justice.

Rout said that after she provided the photocopy of her school identity card and bank passbook, the application would be forwarded to the legal aid cell. "The cell will then issue notice to the concerned departments and authorities and try to give her justice," said Rout.

Besides, two days ago, a play was organised in the fair ground to sensitise people about solving disputes through mediation.

The play titled Batoi showcases how a married couple having a kid face problem in their life, and the wife wants to sue the husband.

But, in due course, they meet a mediator, who mediate and tries to solve their dispute after having conversations with them. Two students of Capital Law College played the role of the couple and senior lawyer Silabhadra Shastri played the mediator.

District and sessions judge Durga Prasanna Choudhury, who was present to watch the play, said that with mediation many disputes could be solved. But, people here are ignorant about such facilities, and they go to police station or approach the court immediately after facing any problem. "This is a good move to create awareness among the people," he said.

Shastri said there were around 40 trained lawyers in the city, working as mediators. The advocates with experience of at least 15 years of legal practice are eligible to be mediators, and they have been provided with proper training.

The kiosk has come up since January 26 when the mela started and it would continue till February 9.