Para legal volunteers would soon be deployed at banks across Himacal Pradesh to assist people in exchanging currency notes of Rs.500 and Rs. 1,000, besides making them aware about certain formalities and their rights.
HP State Legal Services Authority (SLSA) member secretary Yashwant Singh Chogal said all the chairmen (District Judges), District Legal Services Authorities and the secretaries, District Legal Services Authorities had been directed to deploy para legal volunteers to assist common public in filling up forms for exchange of notes.
“The volunteers have also been asked to aware general public on their rights and formalities which were required to be completed in the process of deposit or withdrawal of money from the banks,” he said.
Chogal said the decision had been taken under the guidance of HP High Court Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Sanjay Karol who is also the executive chairman of the authority to help the common masses.
“The demonetization scheme of the Government of India has resulted in long queues in front of the banks and at times the common public were not aware of the procedure for exchange of notes and filling up of forms, limits of withdrawal or other legal formalities. Moreover, some people were misusing the scheme by depositing money in accounts of other people on false pretexts which could invite penal consequences,” he said, adding therefore, the authority had decided to deploy para legal volunteers to render meaningful legal services to masses.
Chogal said the para legal volunteers had also been directed to set up a Help Desk outside the banks to help the people visiting the banks. “General public can also seek advice from the HPSLSA authority for any kind of difficulty in exchanging or withdrawing of notes on telephone number 0177-2623862, 2626962,2624862 and National Toll Free number 15100 (Helpline number 94180-33385),” he added.