Mangaluru: Para Legal Volunteers (PLVs) will soon be recruited for the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) and Taluk Legal Services Committees (TLSCs) in Dakshina Kannada to expand legal outreach and support services.DLSA member secretary Zaibunnisa told reporters on Tuesday that about 50–100 PLVs will be recruited for the DLSA and 25–50 for the TLSCs. Currently, 25–30 PLVs are active in the district. Selected volunteers will serve for one year, receiving a remuneration of Rs 750 per day.PLVs are trained to act as intermediaries between the public and the legal services authorities. Their role includes spreading legal awareness, helping weaker sections understand their rights and duties, identifying injustices, assisting victims in accessing legal aid, and supporting surveys conducted by DLSA. They also play a crucial role in combating child marriage and trafficking by raising awareness, reporting cases, and assisting vulnerable populations. PLVs will also create awareness on Lok Adalats.Applications must be submitted to the DLSC, Mangaluru. After scrutiny, shortlisted candidates will be called for interviews before final selection.Meanwhile, Zaibunnisa said that 15 legal aid clinics are functioning in the district, including at Govt Wenlock Hospital and CDPO offices, with advocates visiting weekly to provide free legal aid. Two advocates from DLSA also visit prisons to assist undertrials, most of whom seek updates on their cases, she said.Active PLVs may be deputed and trained to legal aid clinics in the future. Training for the selected volunteers will be conducted by the OutLawed India-Legal Ed Foundation (Bengaluru), Nyaya Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, New Delhi, and Deeds Mangaluru, working towards enabling last-mile justice.
