Lok Sabha Question No. 821 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-26
Subject: National Legal Services Authority
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Shri Selvam G

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-821 TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY - 26/07/2024

## NATIONAL LEGAL SERVICES AUTHORITY

## 821. SHRI SELVAM G:

Will the Minister of Law and Justice be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of authorities/institutions that are established to provide free legal aid to poor and weaker sections of the society viz. SC/ST;
- (b) whether  Government  has  created  awareness  among  poor  and  weaker  sections  of  the society about the facility of free legal aid and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the  number  of  cases  taken  up/free  legal  aid  provided  by  National  Legal  Services Authority (NALSA) during last three years, State-wise including Tamil Nadu;
- (d) the  details  of  funds  allocated,  released  and  utilized  by  NALSA  during  each  of  the  last three years and the current year, year-wise and State/UT-wise; and
- (e) whether the Government has any mechanism to monitor the functioning/performance of these  authorities/institutions  including  NALSA  and  if  so,  details  thereof  and  the  other corrective step taken/being taken by the Government in this regard?

## 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) The following Authorities/Institutions are established to provide free legal aid to poor and weaker sections of the society including those belonging to SC/ST:-
- i. National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) at National level
- ii. Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (SCLSC) at Supreme Court level
- iii. 38 High Court Legal Services Committees (HCLSCs) at High Court level
- iv. 37 State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs) at State level
- v. 703 District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) at District level
- vi. 2390 Taluk Legal Services Committees (TLSCs) at Taluk level
- (b) In  order  to  make  people  aware  of  their  entitlements,  legal  awareness  programmes  are organised across the country by Legal Service Authorities on various laws and schemes relating to children, labourers, victims of disaster, SC and ST, persons  with disabilities etc. In addition, Legal Services Authorities have also prepared booklets and pamphlets in easy language on various laws which are distributed amongst the people.  More than 4.30 lakh legal awareness programmes were organised during the year 2023-24 which were attended by 4.49 crore persons.
- (c) State/UT-wise  details  of  number  of  persons  benefited  through  free  Legal  Services provided by the Legal Services Institutions during the last three financial years i.e. 202122,  2022-23,  2023-24  and  the  current  financial  year  2024-25  (upto  May,  2024)  is  at Annexure - A.
- (d) Funds under Grant-in-Aid are allocated and released to NALSA by the Government on yearly basis. During the last 3 years i.e. 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24, grants-in-aid of Rs. 145 crore, Rs. 190 crore and Rs. 400 crore respectively were allocated/ released by the Government to NALSA.  For the current year i.e. 2024-25, grants-in-aid of Rs. 200 crore have been allocated to NALSA out of which Rs. 83 crore have been released so far by  the  Government.  The  details  of  funds  allocated  by  NALSA  to  Legal  Services Authorities for organizing legal aid programmes during last three years and the current year is at Annexure - B.
- (e) In  order  to  monitor  the  performance  of  the  legal  services  authorities,  NALSA  receives monthly activity reports from all the SLSAs highlighting all the activities carried out in a particular month. Thereafter, a final activity report on monthly basis is sent by NALSA to the Government which is reviewed and compiled. Apart from monthly activity reports, NALSA also receives Annual Reports from all the SLSAs and prepares its own Annual Report, which is laid before both Houses of the Parliament.

Periodical  reviews  on  different  issues  are  also  carried  out  by  the  Departmentrelated  Parliamentary  Standing  Committee  on  Personnel,  Public  Grievances,  Law  and Justice  to  assess  the  working  of  Legal  Aid  under  the  Legal  Services  Authorities  Act, 1987. Further, All India Meets and Regional Meets are frequently organized by NALSA to monitor the performance of Legal Services Authorities. In addition, regular meetings are  also  held  between  the  representatives  of  NALSA  and  Department  of  Justice  on various important matters.

Statement  as  referred  to  in  reply  to  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Question  No.  821  for  answering  on 26.07.2024 raised by Shri Selvam G, MP - National Legal Services Authority.

Statement  showing  the  details  of  number  of  persons  benefited  through  free  Legal  Services provided by the Legal Services Institutions under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 during the last three years  and  the current  year.

| S. No.   | SLSAs                       |   2021-22 |   2022-23 |   2023-24 |   2024-25 (upto May 2024) |
|----------|-----------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|---------------------------|
| 1        | Andaman and Nicobar Islands |        79 |       134 |       220 |                        17 |
| 2        | Andhra Pradesh              |      6371 |      9473 |      8265 |                      1214 |
| 3        | Arunachal Pradesh           |      2657 |      5559 |      5696 |                      1068 |
| 4        | Assam                       |    110254 |     38335 |     63749 |                     11763 |
| 5        | Bihar                       |   1689158 |    209809 |    151413 |                     14474 |
| 6        | Chandigarh                  |      1781 |      2653 |      2822 |                       616 |
| 7        | Chhattisgarh                |     42394 |     44106 |     62164 |                     11537 |
| 8        | Dadra and Nagar Haveli      |        27 |        28 |        55 |                         7 |
| 9        | Daman and Diu               |        17 |        24 |        34 |                        12 |
| 10       | Delhi                       |     79055 |     96433 |    121882 |                     14031 |
| 11       | Goa                         |      1101 |      2041 |      1558 |                       292 |
| 12       | Gujarat                     |     21953 |     32422 |     40569 |                      7144 |
| 13       | Haryana                     |     23260 |     43098 |     76863 |                     11109 |
| 14       | Himachal Pradesh            |      4806 |      5998 |      7346 |                      1105 |
| 15       | Jammu and Kashmir           |      8870 |      7992 |     11396 |                      2141 |
| 16       | Jharkhand                   |    649481 |    145217 |    269303 |                     31855 |
| 17       | Karnataka                   |     32794 |     45663 |     53406 |                      8546 |
| 18       | Kerala                      |     16895 |     23418 |     36498 |                      2915 |
| 19       | Ladakh                      |      2408 |       711 |       505 |                        65 |
| 20       | Lakshadweep                 |         0 |         0 |         0 |                         1 |
| 21       | Madhya Pradesh              |   3343800 |    191921 |    225510 |                     42159 |
| 22       | Maharashtra                 |     22595 |     36663 |     53756 |                      8244 |
| 23       | Manipur                     |     22651 |     26929 |     62635 |                      5932 |
| 24       | Meghalaya                   |      2346 |      2769 |      2371 |                       300 |
| 25       | Mizoram                     |      3201 |      5038 |      4801 |                       780 |
| 26       | Nagaland                    |      7750 |      7390 |      4603 |                       708 |
| 27       | Odisha                      |      8849 |     11880 |     19289 |                      3107 |
| 28       | Puducherry                  |       884 |       788 |       621 |                       145 |
| 29       | Punjab                      |     36404 |     56448 |     60361 |                     11356 |
| 30       | Rajasthan                   |     13833 |     13472 |     20290 |                      3376 |
| 31       | Sikkim                      |       986 |      1127 |      1074 |                       136 |
| 32       | Tamil Nadu                  |     38181 |     49570 |     45180 |                      7196 |
| 33       | Telangana                   |      6712 |     12615 |     13193 |                      1006 |
| 34       | Tripura                     |      2671 |      5055 |      9964 |                      1758 |
| 35       | Uttar Pradesh               |    132629 |     24890 |     29079 |                      2010 |
| 36       | Uttarakhand                 |      3775 |      5386 |     21339 |                      4300 |
| 37       | West Bengal                 |     29015 |     49714 |     62354 |                     12600 |
|          | Total                       |   6369643 |   1214769 |   1550164 |                    225025 |

## Annexure-B

Statement  as  referred  to  in  reply  to  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Question  No.  821  for  answering  on 26.07.2024 raised by Shri Selvam G, MP - National Legal Services Authority.

| Statement showing the amount of funds allocated (in Rupees) to Legal Services Authorities for   | Statement showing the amount of funds allocated (in Rupees) to Legal Services Authorities for   | Statement showing the amount of funds allocated (in Rupees) to Legal Services Authorities for   | Statement showing the amount of funds allocated (in Rupees) to Legal Services Authorities for   | Statement showing the amount of funds allocated (in Rupees) to Legal Services Authorities for   | Statement showing the amount of funds allocated (in Rupees) to Legal Services Authorities for   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| organising S.No.                                                                                | legal aid programmes Name of Legal Services Authorities                                         | during the last 2021-22                                                                         | years and current 2022-23                                                                       | year. 2023-24                                                                                   | 2024-25 (upto 18.07.2024)                                                                       |
| 1                                                                                               | Andaman and Nicobar Islands                                                                     | -                                                                                               | 15,00,000                                                                                       | 8,43,500                                                                                        | 24,00,000                                                                                       |
| 2                                                                                               | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                  | 5,00,00,000                                                                                     | 4,65,00,000                                                                                     | 9,16,00,000                                                                                     | 86,00,000                                                                                       |
| 3                                                                                               | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                               | 1,40,00,000                                                                                     | 5,00,00,000                                                                                     | 9,75,00,000                                                                                     | 1,25,00,000                                                                                     |
| 4                                                                                               | Assam                                                                                           | 6,40,00,000                                                                                     | 7,40,00,000                                                                                     | 20,00,00,000                                                                                    | 2,40,00,000                                                                                     |
| 5                                                                                               | Bihar                                                                                           | 7,60,00,000                                                                                     | 9,25,00,000                                                                                     | 12,50,00,000                                                                                    | 3,06,00,000                                                                                     |
| 6                                                                                               | Chandigarh                                                                                      | 55,00,000                                                                                       | 60,00,000                                                                                       | 1,42,26,000                                                                                     | -                                                                                               |
| 7                                                                                               | Chhattisgarh                                                                                    | 5,25,00,000                                                                                     | 6,65,00,000                                                                                     | 17,00,00,000                                                                                    | 2,20,00,000                                                                                     |
| 8                                                                                               | Dadra and Nagar Haveli                                                                          | -                                                                                               | 10,00,000                                                                                       | 2,50,000                                                                                        | -                                                                                               |
| 9                                                                                               | Daman and Diu                                                                                   | -                                                                                               | -                                                                                               | 17,50,000                                                                                       | 3,50,000                                                                                        |
| 10                                                                                              | Delhi                                                                                           | 9,30,00,000                                                                                     | 12,25,00,000                                                                                    | 15,00,00,000                                                                                    | 6,00,00,000                                                                                     |
| 11                                                                                              | Goa                                                                                             | 15,00,000                                                                                       | 45,00,000                                                                                       | 1,42,00,000                                                                                     | 43,00,000                                                                                       |
| 12                                                                                              | Gujarat                                                                                         | 5,75,00,000                                                                                     | 8,80,00,000                                                                                     | 18,50,00,000                                                                                    | 3,10,00,000                                                                                     |
| 13                                                                                              | Haryana                                                                                         | 6,50,00,000                                                                                     | 7,60,00,000                                                                                     | 13,25,00,000                                                                                    | 1,43,00,000                                                                                     |
| 14                                                                                              | Himachal Pradesh                                                                                | 2,45,00,000                                                                                     | 3,90,00,000                                                                                     | 8,50,00,000                                                                                     | 4,50,00,000                                                                                     |
| 15                                                                                              | Jammu and Kashmir                                                                               | 4,65,00,000                                                                                     | 6,60,00,000                                                                                     | 9,50,00,000                                                                                     | 2,35,00,000                                                                                     |
| 16                                                                                              | Jharkhand                                                                                       | 7,35,00,000                                                                                     | 7,00,00,000                                                                                     | 16,50,00,000                                                                                    | 2,65,00,000                                                                                     |
| 17                                                                                              | Karnataka                                                                                       | 7,50,00,000                                                                                     | 9,20,00,000                                                                                     | 17,50,00,000                                                                                    | 2,90,00,000                                                                                     |
| 18                                                                                              | Kerala                                                                                          | 9,90,00,000                                                                                     | 8,00,00,000                                                                                     | 19,75,00,000                                                                                    | 2,00,00,000                                                                                     |
| 19                                                                                              | Ladakh                                                                                          | 65,00,000                                                                                       | 45,00,000                                                                                       | 1,18,65,000                                                                                     | 50,00,000                                                                                       |
| 20                                                                                              | Lakshadweep                                                                                     | -                                                                                               | 5,00,000                                                                                        | 2,75,000                                                                                        | -                                                                                               |
| 21                                                                                              | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                  | 5,00,00,000                                                                                     | 7,40,00,000                                                                                     | 26,50,00,000                                                                                    | 4,00,00,000                                                                                     |
| 22                                                                                              | Maharashtra                                                                                     | 8,25,00,000                                                                                     | 9,60,00,000                                                                                     | 26,50,00,000                                                                                    | 5,40,00,000                                                                                     |
| 23                                                                                              | Manipur                                                                                         | 1,05,00,000                                                                                     | 1,90,00,000                                                                                     | 6,23,30,730                                                                                     | 1,12,00,000                                                                                     |
| 24                                                                                              | Meghalaya                                                                                       | 50,00,000                                                                                       | 2,60,00,000                                                                                     | 2,46,35,500                                                                                     | 16,00,000                                                                                       |
| 25                                                                                              | Mizoram                                                                                         | 1,15,00,000                                                                                     | 2,15,00,000                                                                                     | 4,28,00,000                                                                                     | 1,38,00,000                                                                                     |
| 26                                                                                              | Nagaland                                                                                        | 1,15,00,000                                                                                     | 2,75,00,000                                                                                     | 2,20,00,000                                                                                     | 42,00,000                                                                                       |
| 27                                                                                              | Odisha                                                                                          | 4,25,00,000                                                                                     | 7,60,00,000                                                                                     | 9,32,00,000                                                                                     | 2,60,00,000                                                                                     |
| 28                                                                                              | Puducherry                                                                                      | 20,00,000                                                                                       | 92,00,000                                                                                       | 70,10,000                                                                                       | 23,00,000                                                                                       |
| 29                                                                                              | Punjab                                                                                          | 6,40,00,000                                                                                     | 6,16,00,000                                                                                     | 18,25,00,000                                                                                    | 2,75,00,000                                                                                     |
| 30                                                                                              | Rajasthan                                                                                       | 7,00,00,000                                                                                     | 8,40,00,000                                                                                     | 15,25,00,000                                                                                    | 1,80,00,000                                                                                     |
| 31                                                                                              | Sikkim                                                                                          | 65,00,000                                                                                       | 1,65,00,000                                                                                     | 1,55,00,000                                                                                     | 34,00,000                                                                                       |
| 32                                                                                              | Tamil Nadu                                                                                      | 6,00,00,000                                                                                     | 8,10,00,000                                                                                     | 18,00,00,000                                                                                    | 4,15,00,000                                                                                     |
| 33                                                                                              | Telangana                                                                                       | 4,10,00,000                                                                                     | 5,05,00,000                                                                                     | 14,00,00,000                                                                                    | 2,20,00,000                                                                                     |
| 34                                                                                              | Tripura                                                                                         | 2,65,00,000                                                                                     | 3,40,00,000                                                                                     | 6,50,00,000                                                                                     | 55,00,000                                                                                       |
| 35                                                                                              | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                   | 6,00,00,000                                                                                     | 11,80,00,000                                                                                    | 29,50,00,000                                                                                    | 5,50,00,000                                                                                     |
| 36                                                                                              | Uttarakhand                                                                                     | 2,55,00,000                                                                                     | 3,55,00,000                                                                                     | 4,25,00,000                                                                                     | 1,26,00,000                                                                                     |
| 37                                                                                              | West Bengal                                                                                     | 7,00,00,000                                                                                     | 8,80,00,000                                                                                     | 16,25,00,000                                                                                    | 3,35,00,000                                                                                     |

| 38   | Supreme Court Legal Services Committee              | 1,00,00,000    | 90,00,000      | 1,00,00,000    | 1,00,00,000   |
|------|-----------------------------------------------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|
| 39   | Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee (MCPC) | -              | 1,25,00,000    | 50,00,000      | 50,00,000     |
|      | TOTAL                                               | 1,45,30,00,000 | 1,92,08,00,000 | 3,94,49,85,730 | 74,61,50,000  |