Lok Sabha Question No. 405 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-03
Subject: Legal Aid Programmes
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Achyutananda Samanta

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.405 TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 3 rd  FEBRUARY, 2023

## Legal Aid Programmes

## 405.SHRI ACHYUTANANDA SAMANTA:

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

- (a) the details of legal aid programmes being implemented by the Government at present;
- (b) the  details  of  the  funds  allocated/utilised  for  the  purpose  during  the  last  three  years, State/UT-wise and year-wise;
- (c) the  total  number  of  persons  belonging  to  various  sections  of  the  society  who  were provided free legal services during the said period, State/UT-wise;
- (d) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  ensure  easy  availability  of  legal  services  to  the poorest amongst the poor throughout the country; and
- (e) the  further  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  establish  a  nation-wide  network  for providing free legal services to the weaker sections of the society?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF LAW & JUSTICE (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

- (a) to (c) National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has been constituted under the Legal Services Authorities (LSA) Act, 1987 to provide free and competent legal services to the weaker sections  of  the  society  including  beneficiaries  covered  under  Section  12  of  the Act,  to  ensure  that  opportunities  for  securing  justice  are  not  denied  to  any  citizen  by reason of economic or other disabilities, and to organize LokAdalats to secure that the operation of the legal system promotes justice on the basis of equal opportunities.

For this  purpose,  the  legal  services  institutions  have  been  setup  from  the  Taluk Court  level  to  the  Supreme  Court.  The  activities/programmes  undertaken  by  Legal Services  Authorities  include  legal  aid  and  advice;  legal  awareness  programmes;  legal services/empowerment camps; legal services clinics; legal literacy clubs; LokAdalats and implementation of victim compensation scheme. Funds under Grant-in-Aid are allocated and  sanctioned  to  NALSA  by  the  Government  on  yearly  basis.  The  details  of  funds allocated by NALSA to Legal Services Authorities for organizing legal aid programmes during last three years are at Annexure - A. The details regarding number of persons who were provided free legal services during last three years are at Annexure - B.

- (d) and  (e)  To  enable  equitable  access  to  justice,  National  Legal  Services  Authority (NALSA)  has  launched  Legal  Services  Mobile  App  on  Android  and  iOS  versions  to enable easy access to legal aid to common citizens.

Further, a scheme on Access to Justice titled 'Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic  Access  to  Justice  in  India'  has  been  launched  with  aim  to  strengthen  prelitigation  advice  and  consultation  through  Tele-Law:  Reaching  the  Unreached;  ensure pan  -  India  dispensation  framework  to  deliver  Pro  Bono  legal  Services  through  Nyaya Bandhu (Pro Bono Legal Services) programme; facilitate disposal of 15 year old pending cases at the district level through its Nyaya Mitra programme and to  empower citizens through  Pan  India  legal  literacy  and  legal  awareness  programme.  The  Scheme  embeds use  of  technology  and  developing  contextualized  IEC  (Information,  Education  and Communication) material  in  regional  /  local  dialect  to  supports  its  intervention  and  to achieve  easy  accessibility  of  legal  services  to  the  poor  and  weakest  sections  of  the society.

****

Statement  as  referred  to  in  reply  to  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Question  No.  405  for answering  on  03.02.2023  raised  by  Shri  AchyutanandaSamanta,  MP  -  Legal  Aid Programme

| Statement showing details of funds allocated (in Rupees) to Legal Services Authorities for organizing legal aid programmes during last three years   | Statement showing details of funds allocated (in Rupees) to Legal Services Authorities for organizing legal aid programmes during last three years   | Statement showing details of funds allocated (in Rupees) to Legal Services Authorities for organizing legal aid programmes during last three years   | Statement showing details of funds allocated (in Rupees) to Legal Services Authorities for organizing legal aid programmes during last three years   | Statement showing details of funds allocated (in Rupees) to Legal Services Authorities for organizing legal aid programmes during last three years   |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S.No.                                                                                                                                                | Name of State/UT Authority                                                                                                                           | 2019-20                                                                                                                                              | 2020-21                                                                                                                                              | 2021-22                                                                                                                                              |
| 1                                                                                                                                                    | Andaman &Nicobar Islands                                                                                                                             | 0                                                                                                                                                    | 0                                                                                                                                                    | 0                                                                                                                                                    |
| 2                                                                                                                                                    | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                                                       | 2,00,00,000                                                                                                                                          | 3,40,00,000                                                                                                                                          | 5,00,00,000                                                                                                                                          |
| 3                                                                                                                                                    | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                                                                    | 2,00,00,000                                                                                                                                          | 1,00,00,000                                                                                                                                          | 1,40,00,000                                                                                                                                          |
| 4                                                                                                                                                    | Assam                                                                                                                                                | 3,00,00,000                                                                                                                                          | 3,70,00,000                                                                                                                                          | 6,40,00,000                                                                                                                                          |
| 5                                                                                                                                                    | Bihar                                                                                                                                                | 4,50,00,000                                                                                                                                          | 3,70,00,000                                                                                                                                          | 7,60,00,000                                                                                                                                          |
| 6                                                                                                                                                    | Chandigarh                                                                                                                                           | 1,00,00,000                                                                                                                                          | 80,00,000                                                                                                                                            | 55,00,000                                                                                                                                            |
| 7                                                                                                                                                    | Chhattisgarh                                                                                                                                         | 6,00,00,000                                                                                                                                          | 3,95,00,000                                                                                                                                          | 5,25,00,000                                                                                                                                          |
| 8                                                                                                                                                    | Dadra &Nagar Haveli                                                                                                                                  | 0                                                                                                                                                    | 2,50,000                                                                                                                                             | 0                                                                                                                                                    |
| 9                                                                                                                                                    | Daman &Diu                                                                                                                                           | 0                                                                                                                                                    | 2,50,000                                                                                                                                             | 0                                                                                                                                                    |
| 10                                                                                                                                                   | Delhi                                                                                                                                                | 8,00,00,000                                                                                                                                          | 5,00,00,000                                                                                                                                          | 9,30,00,000                                                                                                                                          |
| 11                                                                                                                                                   | Goa                                                                                                                                                  | 0                                                                                                                                                    | 50,00,000                                                                                                                                            | 15,00,000                                                                                                                                            |
| 12                                                                                                                                                   | Gujarat                                                                                                                                              | 3,50,00,000                                                                                                                                          | 3,45,00,000                                                                                                                                          | 5,75,00,000                                                                                                                                          |
| 13                                                                                                                                                   | Haryana                                                                                                                                              | 9,00,00,000                                                                                                                                          | 4,50,00,000                                                                                                                                          | 6,50,00,000                                                                                                                                          |
| 14                                                                                                                                                   | Himachal Pradesh                                                                                                                                     | 4,00,00,000                                                                                                                                          | 1,85,00,000                                                                                                                                          | 2,45,00,000                                                                                                                                          |
| 15                                                                                                                                                   | Jammu &Kashmir                                                                                                                                       | 6,00,00,000                                                                                                                                          | 3,50,00,000                                                                                                                                          | 4,65,00,000                                                                                                                                          |
| 16                                                                                                                                                   | Jharkhand                                                                                                                                            | 4,00,00,000                                                                                                                                          | 4,00,00,000                                                                                                                                          | 7,35,00,000                                                                                                                                          |
| 17                                                                                                                                                   | Karnataka                                                                                                                                            | 7,00,00,000                                                                                                                                          | 6,25,00,000                                                                                                                                          | 7,50,00,000                                                                                                                                          |
| 18                                                                                                                                                   | Kerala                                                                                                                                               | 11,00,00,000                                                                                                                                         | 5,25,00,000                                                                                                                                          | 9,90,00,000                                                                                                                                          |
| 19                                                                                                                                                   | Ladakh                                                                                                                                               | 0                                                                                                                                                    | 0                                                                                                                                                    | 65,00,000                                                                                                                                            |
| 20                                                                                                                                                   | Lakshadweep                                                                                                                                          | 0                                                                                                                                                    | 0                                                                                                                                                    | 0                                                                                                                                                    |

| 21   | Madhya Pradesh                         | 4,50,00,000    | 3,00,00,000    | 5,00,00,000    |
|------|----------------------------------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
| 22   | Maharashtra                            | 6,00,00,000    | 6,25,00,000    | 8,25,00,000    |
| 23   | Manipur                                | 4,00,00,000    | 1,00,00,000    | 1,05,00,000    |
| 24   | Meghalaya                              | 1,00,00,000    | 50,00,000      | 50,00,000      |
| 25   | Mizoram                                | 2,50,00,000    | 50,00,000      | 1,15,00,000    |
| 26   | Nagaland                               | 2,50,00,000    | 50,00,000      | 1,15,00,000    |
| 27   | Odisha                                 | 6,00,00,000    | 3,25,00,000    | 4,25,00,000    |
| 28   | Puducherry                             | 0              | 10,00,000      | 20,00,000      |
| 29   | Punjab                                 | 10,00,00,000   | 3,25,00,000    | 6,40,00,000    |
| 30   | Rajasthan                              | 6,50,00,000    | 4,55,00,000    | 7,00,00,000    |
| 31   | Sikkim                                 | 2,50,00,000    | 50,00,000      | 65,00,000      |
| 32   | Tamil Nadu                             | 5,00,00,000    | 4,20,00,000    | 6,00,00,000    |
| 33   | Telangana                              | 3,50,00,000    | 3,50,00,000    | 4,10,00,000    |
| 34   | Tripura                                | 3,00,00,000    | 2,80,00,000    | 2,65,00,000    |
| 35   | Uttar Pradesh                          | 3,00,00,000    | 6,50,00,000    | 6,00,00,000    |
| 36   | Uttarakhand                            | 2,00,00,000    | 2,50,00,000    | 2,55,00,000    |
| 37   | West Bengal                            | 9,00,00,000    | 5,20,00,000    | 7,00,00,000    |
| 38   | Supreme Court Legal Services Committee | 0              | 1,00,00,000    | 1,00,00,000    |
|      | TOTAL                                  | 1,42,00,00,000 | 1,00,00,00,000 | 1,45,30,00,000 |

## Annexure-B

Statement as referred to in reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 405 for answering on 03.02.2023 raised by Shri AchyutanandaSamanta, MP - Legal Aid Programme

| Statement services   | Statement services         | Statement services   | Statement services   | Statement services   |
|----------------------|----------------------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
| S. No.               | Name of State/UT Authority | 2019-20              | 2020-21              | 2021-22              |
| 1                    | Andaman &Nicobar Islands   | 43                   | 65                   | 79                   |
| 2                    | Andhra Pradesh             | 4,396                | 4,474                | 6,371                |
| 3                    | Arunachal Pradesh          | 3,932                | 1,984                | 2,657                |
| 4                    | Assam                      | 8,002                | 10,027               | 1,10,254             |
| 5                    | Bihar                      | 60,139               | 38,653               | 16,89,158            |
| 6                    | Chandigarh                 | 2,261                | 1,242                | 1,781                |
| 7                    | Chhattisgarh               | 81,713               | 26,814               | 42,394               |
| 8                    | Dadra &Nagar Haveli        | 28                   | 10                   | 27                   |
| 9                    | Daman &Diu                 | 0                    | 0                    | 17                   |
| 10                   | Delhi                      | 79,458               | 82,131               | 79,055               |
| 11                   | Goa                        | 3,006                | 875                  | 1,101                |
| 12                   | Gujarat                    | 26,887               | 8,302                | 21,953               |
| 13                   | Haryana                    | 19,019               | 11,059               | 23,260               |
| 14                   | Himachal Pradesh           | 4,368                | 2,083                | 4,806                |
| 15                   | Jammu &Kashmir             | 4,961                | 7,675                | 8,870                |
| 16                   | Jharkhand                  | 30,530               | 1,31,691             | 6,49,481             |
| 17                   | Karnataka                  | 1,45,015             | 23,211               | 32,794               |
| 18                   | Kerala                     | 71,058               | 11,242               | 16,895               |
| 19                   | Ladakh                     | 0                    | 93                   | 2,408                |
| 20                   | Lakshadweep                | 0                    | 0                    | 0                    |
| 21                   | Madhya Pradesh             | 2,68,351             | 87,843               | 33,43,800            |
| 22                   | Maharashtra                | 24,060               | 12,278               | 22,595               |
| 23                   | Manipur                    | 18,257               | 56,635               | 22,651               |
| 24                   | Meghalaya                  | 2,914                | 2,131                | 2,346                |
| 25                   | Mizoram                    | 9,473                | 1,670                | 3,201                |
| 26                   | Nagaland                   | 3,691                | 4,231                | 7,750                |
| 27                   | Odisha                     | 8,025                | 6,029                | 8,849                |
| 28                   | Puducherry                 | 1,295                | 309                  | 884                  |
| 29                   | Punjab                     | 1,27,829             | 27,096               | 36,404               |
| 30                   | Rajasthan                  | 32,413               | 12,274               | 13,833               |
| 31                   | Sikkim                     | 928                  | 702                  | 986                  |
| 32                   | Tamil Nadu                 | 35,552               | 26,491               | 38,181               |
| 33                   | Telangana                  | 15,145               | 3,488                | 6,712                |
| 34                   | Tripura                    | 13,595               | 2,156                | 2,671                |

| 35   | Uttar Pradesh   | 60,819    | 3,545    | 1,32,629   |
|------|-----------------|-----------|----------|------------|
| 36   | Uttarakhand     | 3,018     | 2,343    | 3,775      |
| 37   | West Bengal     | 41,956    | 20,906   | 29,015     |
|      | Total           | 12,12,137 | 6,31,758 | 63,69,643  |