Srinagar, Aug. 20 -- Kashmir has spent years measuring development through what people can see: wider roads, new buildings, public spaces, flyovers and fresh announcements. Srinagar has seen plenty of that investment.

The more important question is how easily an ordinary family can reach the services created in its name.

Urban poverty remains one of Srinagar's least discussed realities. A family can live close to a government office and still struggle to understand which scheme applies, where to apply, which papers to submit or whom to approach.

A legal right can exist clearly in law while the person entitled to it remains unaware of its value.

This is where the recent legal-aid initiative points in a useful direction. Judges, adminis...