Lok Sabha Question No. 3375 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-08
Subject: National Legal Services Authority in Tamil Nadu
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Shri Malaiyarasan D

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 3375

TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 08 TH  AUGUST, 2025

## NATIONAL LEGAL SERVICES AUTHORITY IN TAMIL NADU

## 3375. SHRI MALAIYARASAN D:

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

- (a) the  details  of  the  various  schemes  implemented  by  the  National  Legal  Services Authority (NALSA) across the country, with specific emphasis on Tamil Nadu;
- (b) the number of beneficiaries provided free legal aid and assistance under these schemes in Tamil Nadu during the last three years, district-wise, especially in Kallakurichi Lok Sabha Constituency;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  conducted  any  assessment  of  the  effectiveness  and outreach of these schemes in rural and urban areas of Tamil Nadu;
- (d) the  number  of  Lok  Adalats  organized  in  Tamil  Nadu  in  the  last  three  years  and  the number of cases disposed through them; and
- (e) the  steps  taken  to  increase  legal  awareness  and  access  to  justice  among  marginalized communities, women and children in Tamil Nadu?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS

## (SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)

- (a) and (b): The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) was 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 LSA Act, 1987, which aims to ensure that the opportunities for securing justice are not denied  to  any  citizen  by  reason  of  economic  or  other  disabilities,  and  to  organize  Lok Adalats  for  amicable  settlement  of  disputes.  In  addition,  NALSA  has  also  formulated various schemes  for the implementation  of preventive and strategic legal service programmes, which are implemented by the Legal Services Authorities at various levels

i.e.  State,  District  and  Taluka  level.  The  State/UT-wise  details  of  beneficiaries  under various  activities/programmes  undertaken  by  Legal  Services  Authorities  during  the  last three years are at Annexure - A . However, the district-wise information is not maintained by NALSA.

The Government of India is also implementing a Central Sector Scheme namely; Legal Aid Defense Counsel System (LADCS) Scheme through NALSA since 2023-24, which aims to provide legal aid with regard to criminal cases to the beneficiaries eligible for legal aid  under  Section  12  of  the  LSA  Act,  1987.  As  on  30 th June  2025,  LADC  offices  are functional  in  662  districts  across  the  country.  Since  inception,  Legal  Aid  Defence Counsels (LADCs) have been assigned with 8,69,243 criminal cases, of which 5,85,255 cases were disposed of.

- (c): The National Legal Services Authority (Free and Competent Legal Services) Regulations, 2010 provide for a robust framework for monitoring and evaluating legal aid services  through  the  Monitoring  and  Mentoring  Committee  (MMC)  at  all  tiers  i.e. Supreme Court of India, High Courts, State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs)/District Legal  Services  Authorities  (DLSAs)  and  Taluka  Legal  Services  Committees  (TLSCs). These committees are responsible for overseeing court-based legal aid delivery, monitoring  the  progress  of  assigned  cases,  and  guiding  panel  lawyers  and  Legal  Aid Defense Counsels (LADCs) in providing quality legal services.

The  MMCs maintain registers to track the day-to-day progress and final outcomes of legal aid cases.  They  obtain  periodic  reports  from  legal  aid  lawyers,  assess  their performance, and advise concerned authorities to take corrective steps  when progress is unsatisfactory. This continuous follow-up mechanism ensures accountability, transparency,  and  quality  control  in  legal  services.  The  MMCs  also  evaluate  lawyer performance to identify underperformance or misconduct. Moreover, performance of each human resource engaged under LADCS is evaluated every six months by the SLSA under the  guidance  of  the  Hon'ble  Executive  Chairman  of  the  SLSA.  Additionally,  monthly reporting of casework by the LADCs is done by the SLSAs to NALSA, ensuring real-time oversight and data-driven evaluation at the national level.

- (d):  The details  of  Lok  Adalats  organized  in  Tamil  Nadu  in  the  last  three  years  and  the number of cases/issues settled through them are as under:

## (i) State Lok Adalat

| Year    |   State Lok Adalats held |   Cases settled |
|---------|--------------------------|-----------------|
| 2022-23 |                     1295 |           16369 |
| 2023-24 |                     1336 |           34744 |
| 2024-25 |                      565 |            6943 |
| Total   |                     3196 |           58056 |

## (ii) Permanent Lok Adalat (Public Utility Services)

| Year    | Permanent Lok Adalats functioning   |   Sittings held |   Cases settled |
|---------|-------------------------------------|-----------------|-----------------|
| 2022-23 | 32                                  |            1121 |             528 |
| 2023-24 | 32                                  |            1119 |             427 |
| 2024-25 | 32                                  |            1067 |             409 |
| Total   | Total                               |            3307 |            1364 |

## (iii) National Lok Adalat

| Year   |   Total Cases settled |
|--------|-----------------------|
| 2022   |                447536 |
| 2023   |                355762 |
| 2024   |                338520 |
| Total  |               1141818 |

- (e):  The  legal  awareness  programmes  are  held  across  the  country  by  Legal  Service Authorities in regard to entitlement to free legal aid and various laws and schemes relating to  children,  labourers, victims of disaster, SC and ST, persons suffering from disability, etc.  The  Legal  Services  Authorities  also  prepare  booklets  and  pamphlets  in  simple language  on  various  laws,  for  distribution  amongst  the  people.  The  details  of  legal awareness  camps/programs  organized  by  Legal  Service  Authorities  across  the  country (including Tamil Nadu) during the last three years are as under:

|         | Tamil Nadu               | Tamil Nadu       | Across the country (including Tamil Nadu)   | Across the country (including Tamil Nadu)   |
|---------|--------------------------|------------------|---------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
| Year    | Legal Awareness programs | Persons attended | Legal Awareness programs                    | Persons attended                            |
| 2022-23 | 10,814                   | 13,27,379        | 4,90,055                                    | 6,75,17,665                                 |
| 2023-24 | 4,408                    | 7,12,534         | 4,30,306                                    | 4,49,22,092                                 |
| 2024-25 | 6,284                    | 10,10,195        | 4,62,988                                    | 3,72,32,850                                 |
| Total   | 21,506                   | 30,50,108        | 13,83,349                                   | 14,96,72,607                                |

*****

## Statement referred to in reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3375 for answer on 08.08.2025 regarding 'National Legal Services Authority in Tamil Nadu'

Statement  containing  the  details  of  persons  benefited  through  Legal  aid  and  advice under various activities/programmes undertaken by Legal Services Authorities during the last three years

| S. No.   | Name of the State/UT Authority   | 2022-23   | 2023-24   | 2024-25   |
|----------|----------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| 1        | Andaman and Nicobar Islands      | 134       | 220       | 341       |
| 2        | Andhra Pradesh                   | 9,473     | 8,265     | 11,266    |
| 3        | Arunachal Pradesh                | 5,559     | 5,696     | 9,236     |
| 4        | Assam                            | 38,335    | 63,749    | 82,694    |
| 5        | Bihar                            | 2,09,809  | 1,51,413  | 84,505    |
| 6        | Chandigarh                       | 2,653     | 2,822     | 2,951     |
| 7        | Chhattisgarh                     | 44,106    | 62,164    | 80,874    |
|          | Dadra and Nagar Haveli           | 28        | 55        | 45        |
| 8        | Daman and Diu                    | 24        | 34        | 119       |
| 9        | Delhi                            | 96,433    | 1,21,882  | 76,526    |
| 10       | Goa                              | 2,041     | 1,558     | 1,889     |
| 11       | Gujarat                          | 32,422    | 40,569    | 50,467    |
| 12       | Haryana                          | 43,098    | 76,863    | 82,194    |
| 13       | Himachal Pradesh                 | 5,998     | 7,346     | 6,222     |
| 14       | Jammu and Kashmir                | 7,992     | 11,396    | 18,602    |
| 15       | Jharkhand                        | 1,45,217  | 2,69,303  | 3,28,365  |
| 16       | Karnataka                        | 45,663    | 53,406    | 51,245    |
| 17       | Kerala                           | 23,418    | 36,498    | 26,571    |
| 18       | Ladakh                           | 711       | 505       | 324       |
| 19       | Lakshadweep                      | 0         | 0         | 1         |
| 20       | Madhya Pradesh                   | 1,91,921  | 2,25,510  | 2,33,009  |
| 21       | Maharashtra                      | 36,663    | 53,756    | 59,454    |
| 22       | Manipur                          | 26,929    | 62,635    | 99,062    |
| 23       | Meghalaya                        | 2,769     | 2,371     | 2,754     |
| 24       | Mizoram                          | 5,038     | 4,801     | 3,713     |
| 25       | Nagaland                         | 7,390     | 4,603     | 5,012     |
| 26       | Odisha                           | 11,880    | 19,289    | 22,134    |
| 27       | Puducherry                       | 788       | 621       | 616       |
| 28       | Punjab                           | 56,448    | 60,361    | 65,513    |
| 29       | Rajasthan                        | 13,472    | 20,290    | 22,216    |
| 30       | Sikkim                           | 1,127     | 1,074     | 901       |
| 31       | Tamil Nadu                       | 49,570    | 45,180    | 52,528    |
| 32       | Telangana                        | 12,615    | 13,193    | 16,021    |
| 33       | Tripura                          | 5,055     | 9,964     | 10,303    |
| 34       | Uttar Pradesh                    | 24,890    | 29,079    | 22,732    |
| 35       | Uttarakhand                      | 5,386     | 21,339    | 34,208    |
| 36       | West Bengal                      | 49,714    | 62,354    | 92,914    |
| Total    | Total                            | 12,14,769 | 15,50,164 | 16,57,527 |