Lok Sabha Question No. 3164 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-14
Subject: Tele-law Scheme
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: BHARATENDRA SINGH

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

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## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 3164 TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, THE 14 th  MARCH, 2018

## Tele-Law Scheme

## 3164. SHRI KUNWAR BHARATENDRA:

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

- (a) the data regarding the progress of the Tele-Law scheme, including the number  of  legal  practitioners  participating  in  the  scheme  and  the number of Para Legal Volunteers appointed;
- (b) the detail of the cost incurred on the scheme till date; and
- (c) whether  any  measures  have  been  undertaken  to  increase  access  to justice and legal literacy in rural India and if so, details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LAW & JUSTICE AND CORPORATE AFFAIRS (SHRI P.P.CHAUDHARY)

(a) Tele  law  programme  seeks  to  provide  free  legal  advice  through  Common  Service Centres (CSC) in 1,800 gram panchayats in 11 States of the country. The state-wise breakup of  CSCS where Tele-Law programme is implemented is at   Annexure-A.  As on date, 19 panel lawyers have been appointed for providing legal advice.  A total of 2,977 Para Legal Volunteers  (PLVs),  Village  Level  Entrepreneurs  (VLEs)  and  Panel  Lawyers  have  been trained under the Tele-Law Programme.  As on 09.03.2018, 14, 184 persons have registered for seeking advice in the Tele Law portal, and out of these legal advice has been provided in 11,339 cases.

(b) A total of Rs.86.60 lakh has been incurred on various activities including payment of honorarium to Panel Lawyers, PLVs, expenditure incurred for their training, development of

software  and  hosting  the  application  software,  design  and  distribution  of  promotion  and publicity materials.

(c) The Government  and the National Legal Services Authority  (NALSA)  have undertaken a number of measures to increase access to justice and legal literacy in rural areas. (i)  The NALSA and Legal Services Authorities (LSAs) from Supreme Court to taluka level courts provide free panel lawyers to people of poorer and weaker sections of society for legal advice, drafting of applications and filling up of various forms, making personal appearance in  the  court  and  providing  certified  copies  of  judgements.  The  LSAs also  pay  court fee on behalf of marginalized litigants who cannot afford to make payment. In special cases where court  appoints  commissions  for  marginalized  persons,  the  LSAs  make  payment  to  the commissioners and incur expenditure for summoning of witnesses. The NALSA Legal Aid Clinics Regulations, 2011 provide for establishment of legal services clinics at all villages, or for a cluster of villages, depending on the size of such villages. Details of legal aid clinics established in villages/rural areas all over the country and the beneficiaries thereof  (during the period from April, 2017 to December, 2017)  are at Annexure-B. (ii)  The Government in partnership with UNDP has implemented Access to Justice Project in eight  States  namely,  UP,  Bihar,  M.P,  Chhattisgarh,  Jharkhand,  Rajasthan,  Odisha  and Maharashtra  from  2009  to  2017.  Under  the  project  legal  awareness  campaigns  were undertaken in partnership with State Governments, State Legal Services Authorities and civil society organizations. (iii)   The Government has also been implementing one Access to Justice Project since 2012 in 8 States of the North East and the State of Jammu & Kashmir.  Under the project similar legal awareness campaigns and legal aid activities were undertaken in partnership with  the State Governments, State Legal Services Authorities and civil society organizations. As part of  creating  legal  awareness  amongst  the  various  stakeholders, Information  Education Communication  (IEC)  materials  have  been  published  and  distributed  in  English,  Hindi  as well as various local languages including Assamese, Bengali, Nepali, Bodo, Karbi, Limboo, Bhutia, Kokborok, Lepcha, Rabha, Garo, Manipur. This  material is available on the website of the Department of Justice at http://www.tele-law.in/static/iec-materials.php. (iv)    In  April,  2017,  the  Government  has  launched  new  legal  aid  schemes  for  the  poor namely, Tele Law and Pro Bono Legal Services. Under the Pro Bono legal service scheme, 220 advocates have volunteered their services for marginalized. (v)  Legal aid clinics were set up in rural areas where panel lawyers provide free legal advice and draft applications on behalf of the marginalized.

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| Annexure as referred to in reply to the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 3164 for 14.03.2018 raised by S/Shri Kunwar Bharatendra regarding Tele-    |
| law Scheme                                                                 |

| Statement showing State-wise break-up of CSCs where Tele-law programme is implemented.   | Statement showing State-wise break-up of CSCs where Tele-law programme is implemented.   | Statement showing State-wise break-up of CSCs where Tele-law programme is implemented.   |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sr No.                                                                                   | Name of State                                                                            | Number of CSCs where Tele Law service is provided                                        |
| 1                                                                                        | Uttar Pradesh                                                                            | 500                                                                                      |
| 2                                                                                        | Bihar                                                                                    | 500                                                                                      |
| 3                                                                                        | Assam                                                                                    | 450                                                                                      |
| 4                                                                                        | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                        | 29                                                                                       |
| 5                                                                                        | Nagaland                                                                                 | 43                                                                                       |
| 6                                                                                        | Mizoram                                                                                  | 12                                                                                       |
| 7                                                                                        | Manipur                                                                                  | 21                                                                                       |
| 8                                                                                        | Tripura                                                                                  | 40                                                                                       |
| 9                                                                                        | Meghalaya                                                                                | 45                                                                                       |
| 10                                                                                       | Sikkim                                                                                   | 10                                                                                       |
| 11                                                                                       | Jammu &Kashmir                                                                           | 150                                                                                      |
|                                                                                          | Total                                                                                    | 1800                                                                                     |

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## ANNEXURE-B

## Annexure as referred to in reply to the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.3164 for 14.03.2018 raised by S/Shri Kunwar Bharatendra regarding Tele-law Scheme

State-wise number of Legal Services Clinics established in villages/ rural areas in the country and persons provided legal assistance during the current financial year 2017-18 on the basis of information furnished by State Legal Services Authoriteis.

| S.No.   | Name of the SLSAs   |   Number of Village Legal Services Clinics established as on 31.12.2017 |   Number of persons provided Legal Assistance |
|---------|---------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh      |                                                                     457 |                                          8012 |
| 2       | Arunachal Pradesh   |                                                                       0 |                                             0 |
| 3       | Assam               |                                                                     146 |                                          1377 |
| 4       | Bihar               |                                                                     112 |                                           614 |
| 5       | Chhattisgarh        |                                                                     279 |                                         26511 |
| 6       | Goa                 |                                                                      61 |                                          1318 |
| 7       | Gujarat             |                                                                     487 |                                          4284 |
| 8       | Haryana             |                                                                     321 |                                        112365 |
| 9       | Himachal Pradesh    |                                                                     893 |                                         11924 |
| 10      | Jammu& Kashmir      |                                                                     131 |                                          7252 |
| 11      | Jharkhand           |                                                                     382 |                                         20950 |
| 12      | Karnataka           |                                                                     147 |                                          6019 |
| 13      | Kerala              |                                                                     173 |                                          6907 |
| 14      | Madhya Pradesh      |                                                                     555 |                                          7754 |
| 15      | Maharashtra         |                                                                     387 |                                          2706 |
| 16      | Manipur             |                                                                      54 |                                          2676 |
| 17      | Meghalaya           |                                                                     104 |                                          1805 |
| 18      | Mizoram             |                                                                      57 |                                          2763 |
| 19      | Nagaland            |                                                                      89 |                                          1398 |
| 20      | Odisha              |                                                                     262 |                                          3427 |
| 21      | Punjab              |                                                                     274 |                                         12028 |
| 22      | Rajasthan           |                                                                    6243 |                                         91943 |
| 23      | Sikkim              |                                                                      12 |                                           109 |
| 24      | Tamil Nadu          |                                                                     551 |                                          1019 |
| 25      | Telangana           |                                                                     260 |                                          2499 |
| 26      | Tripura             |                                                                     317 |                                         14161 |
| 27      | Uttar Pradesh       |                                                                      44 |                                           651 |
| 28      | Uttarakhand         |                                                                     120 |                                          1383 |
| 29      | West Bengal         |                                                                     593 |                                         24820 |
| 30      | A&N Islands         |                                                                       0 |                                             0 |
| 31      | U.T. Chandigarh     |                                                                       9 |                                          4401 |
| 32      | D&N Haveli          |                                                                      12 |                                             0 |
| 33      | Daman& Diu          |                                                                       6 |                                             0 |
| 34      | Delhi               |                                                                       0 |                                             0 |
| 35      | Lakshadweep         |                                                                       0 |                                             0 |
| 36      | Puducherry          |                                                                      55 |                                             7 |
|         | Total               |                                                                   13593 |                                        383083 |