Odisha
The Odisha government has launched new scheme “Madhubabu Aain Sahayata Sibir’ (MASS)” to provide legal assistance to the deprived sections of the society at the grassroots level in all its 6,812 gram panchayats across the state. The scheme was named after great Odia lawyer Madhu Babu, who is considered as the first lawyer of Odisha. The legal assistance will be given in the shape of free legal aid to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen for economic and other reasons. The legal assistance lawyer, who would receive Rs 500 per sitting as remuneration, would help people especially the women, children, senior citizens, SC, ST and socially and educationally backward to resolve long pending litigations.