Lok Sabha Question No. 2938 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-02
Subject: Access to Justice Project
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: A.T. (NANA) PATIL, RAOSAHEB PATIL DANVE, DEVJI MANSINGRAM PATEL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

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## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2938

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, THE 02 nd August, 2017

## Access to Justice Project

+2938 .  SHRI A T NANA PATIL SHRI RAOSAHEB DANVE PATIL SHRI DEVJI M PATEL :

Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE

## be pleased to state:

- (a) the  names  of  the  States  where  'Access  to  Justice  Project  is  being  run  by  the Government of India in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP);
- (b) the details thereof for Maharashtra and Rajasthan , district-wise ;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to implement this programme in other districts of the country;
- (d) if so, the time by which it is likely to be implemented?
- (e) whether the Government has launched/proposes to launch a Tele Law programme for providing free legal assistance;
- (f) if so, the details, thereof; and
- (g) whether the Government proposes to implement this programme in other States of the country also and if so, the time by which it is likely to be implemented?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LAW AND JUSTICE AND ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI P.P.CHAUDHARY)

- (a) The  Access  to  Justice Project  is  being  implemented  by  the  Government  of  India  in collaboration  with the United  Nations Development Programme(UNDP) in eight States, namely, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Odisha.

- (b) In Maharashtra projects on Law School based Legal Aid Clinic and Socio Legal Cells for  Juvenile  Justice  have  been set  up  in  collaboration  with  Tata  Institute  of  Social Sciences. The Socio Legal Cells for Juvenile Justice have been set up in 06 districts of Maharashtra, namely, Mumbai (urban), Mumbai (sub-urban), Pune, Yavatmal, Thane and Amravati. At present no project is being implemented in Rajasthan.
- (c) & (d) A Legal Aid Clinic Project is being implemented in three districts of Odisha and a  Legal  Literacy Project  through State  Resource Centre  is being implemented  in  67 districts  of  Uttar  Pradesh.  The  Government has not taken any decision at present to implement this project in other districts of the country.
- (e) The Government has launched a Tele Law scheme for providing free legal assistance to  poor  and  marginalized  persons  in  the  States  of  Uttar  Pradesh,  Bihar,  North  East Region and Jammu & Kashmir.
- (f)  The  Tele  Law  Scheme  aims  to  provide  quality  legal  advice  to  the  marginalized community  through  video  conferencing  facility  available  at  the  Common  Services Centers (CSC) at gram panchayat level. Nearly 1800 para legal volunteers are being trained  to  assist  the  marginalized  applicants  for  legal  advice  and  referral  through expert panel of lawyers placed with State Legal Service Authorities.
- (g) There is no proposal at present to extend this scheme to other States of the country.

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