Lok Sabha Question No. 3739 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-09
Subject: Accessibility of Legal Service
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: PARASURAMAN K., YERRAM VENKATA SUBBAREDDY

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

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3739

TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, THE 9 TH AUGUST, 2017

## Accessibility of Legal Service

3739. SHRI K. PARASURAMAN: SHRI Y.V. SUBBA REDDY:

Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state?

- (a) whether the Government is concerned about the hurdles to common citizen for accessibility of legal services;
- (b) if so, whether the Government has already initiated free legal services scheme in the country;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and the total number of legal services centres established by the Government, State-wise and the financial assistance provided to the States during the last three years in this regard;
- (d) whether the Government has taken any efforts to ensure that legal aid reach the poor of the country and people in rural areas and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the Government has launched or planning to launch digital and mobile courts and if so, the details thereof ?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) to  (d)  The  Legal  Services  Authorities  Act,  1987  envisages  setting  up  of legal services  institutions  at  all  levels  from  the  level  of  taluk  courts  to  the  Supreme Court.

Free  legal  services  are  provided  to  all  eligible  categories  of  persons  under Section  12  of  the  Act.  The  free  legal  services  include  payment  of  court  fees, charges for drafting, preparing  and filing of any legal proceedings  and representation  by  a  legal  practitioner  in  legal  proceedings  etc.  During  the financial  year  2016-17,  more  than  5.47  lakh  persons  have  benefited  through legal aid services in the country.  A total number of 21, 405 legal services clinics have  been  established  in  the  country  as  on  31.01.2017.  Statement  showing details of legal services clinics set up state wise is given at Annexure.

The Government has also launched three new legal aid and empowerment  schemes,  namely,  Tele-Law,  Nyaya  Mitra  and  Pro-Bono  legal services recently for poor and marginalized persons.

Annual Grants allocated to the State Legal Services Authorities during the  last  three  years  are  Rs.  53.41  crores,  Rs.  57.04  crores  and  Rs.  110.09 crores respectively.

(e)    There  is  no  proposal  to  launch  digital  and  mobile  courts.  However, under eCourts Mission Mode Project, nearly 16, 000 courts in the country have been computerized.

| Statement as referred to in reply to parts (a) to (d) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3739 for 09.08.2017 regarding Accessibility of Legal Services.   | Statement as referred to in reply to parts (a) to (d) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3739 for 09.08.2017 regarding Accessibility of Legal Services.   | Statement as referred to in reply to parts (a) to (d) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3739 for 09.08.2017 regarding Accessibility of Legal Services.   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| State-wise details of f Legal Services Clinics established in the country as on 31.01.2017.                                                                    | State-wise details of f Legal Services Clinics established in the country as on 31.01.2017.                                                                    | State-wise details of f Legal Services Clinics established in the country as on 31.01.2017.                                                                    |
| S.No.                                                                                                                                                          | Name of the SLSAs                                                                                                                                              | Number of Legal Services Clinics established as on 31.01.2017                                                                                                  |
| 1                                                                                                                                                              | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                                                                 | 709                                                                                                                                                            |
| 2                                                                                                                                                              | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                                                                              | 15                                                                                                                                                             |
| 3                                                                                                                                                              | Assam                                                                                                                                                          | 199                                                                                                                                                            |
| 4                                                                                                                                                              | Bihar                                                                                                                                                          | 398                                                                                                                                                            |
| 5                                                                                                                                                              | Chhattisgarh                                                                                                                                                   | 458                                                                                                                                                            |
| 6                                                                                                                                                              | Goa                                                                                                                                                            | 116                                                                                                                                                            |
| 7                                                                                                                                                              | Gujarat                                                                                                                                                        | 653                                                                                                                                                            |
| 8                                                                                                                                                              | Haryana                                                                                                                                                        | 519                                                                                                                                                            |
| 9                                                                                                                                                              | Himachal Pradesh                                                                                                                                               | 1051                                                                                                                                                           |
| 10                                                                                                                                                             | Jammu & Kashmir                                                                                                                                                | 212                                                                                                                                                            |
| 11                                                                                                                                                             | Jharkhand                                                                                                                                                      | 410                                                                                                                                                            |
| 12                                                                                                                                                             | Karnataka                                                                                                                                                      | 625                                                                                                                                                            |
| 13                                                                                                                                                             | Kerala                                                                                                                                                         | 898                                                                                                                                                            |
| 14                                                                                                                                                             | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                                                                 | 845                                                                                                                                                            |
| 15                                                                                                                                                             | Maharashtra                                                                                                                                                    | 750                                                                                                                                                            |
| 16                                                                                                                                                             | Manipur                                                                                                                                                        | 37                                                                                                                                                             |
| 17                                                                                                                                                             | Meghalaya                                                                                                                                                      | 128                                                                                                                                                            |
| 18                                                                                                                                                             | Mizoram                                                                                                                                                        | 79                                                                                                                                                             |
| 19                                                                                                                                                             | Nagaland                                                                                                                                                       | 117                                                                                                                                                            |
| 20                                                                                                                                                             | Odisha                                                                                                                                                         | 524                                                                                                                                                            |
| 21                                                                                                                                                             | Punjab                                                                                                                                                         | 326                                                                                                                                                            |
| 22                                                                                                                                                             | Rajasthan                                                                                                                                                      | 5869                                                                                                                                                           |
| 23                                                                                                                                                             | Sikkim                                                                                                                                                         | 34                                                                                                                                                             |
| 24                                                                                                                                                             | Tamil Nadu                                                                                                                                                     | 797                                                                                                                                                            |
| 25                                                                                                                                                             | Telangana                                                                                                                                                      | 368                                                                                                                                                            |
| 26                                                                                                                                                             | Tripura                                                                                                                                                        | 178                                                                                                                                                            |
| 27                                                                                                                                                             | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                                                                                  | 3630                                                                                                                                                           |
| 28                                                                                                                                                             | Uttarakhand                                                                                                                                                    | 255                                                                                                                                                            |
| 29                                                                                                                                                             | West Bengal                                                                                                                                                    | 1013                                                                                                                                                           |
| 30                                                                                                                                                             | Andaman and Nicobar Islands                                                                                                                                    | 30                                                                                                                                                             |
| 31                                                                                                                                                             | U.T. Chandigarh                                                                                                                                                | 20                                                                                                                                                             |
| 32                                                                                                                                                             | Dadra and Nagar Haveli                                                                                                                                         | 14                                                                                                                                                             |
| 33                                                                                                                                                             | Daman & Diu                                                                                                                                                    | 11                                                                                                                                                             |
| 34                                                                                                                                                             | Delhi                                                                                                                                                          | 51                                                                                                                                                             |
| 35 36                                                                                                                                                          | Lakshadweep Puducherry                                                                                                                                         | 1 65                                                                                                                                                           |