Lok Sabha Question No. 1065 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-25
Subject: Access to Justice and Legal Aid in Dhubri
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Md. Rakibul Hussain

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 1065

TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY - 25/07/2025

## ACCESS TO JUSTICE AND LEGAL AID IN DHUBRI

## 1065. MD. RAKIBUL HUSSAIN:

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

- (a) the  steps  that  are  being  taken  to  establish  more  District  Legal  Services  Authorities (DLSA)  or  mobile  legal  aid  centres  in  Dhubri  to  ensure  that  marginalised  and economically disadvantaged communities have access to legal aid and counselling;
- (b) the manner in which the Government is ensuring that the people of Dhubri, especially in rural  and  flood-prone  areas,  are  made  aware  of  their  legal  rights  and  provided  with information  about  free  legal  services  under  the  National  Legal  Services  Authority (NALSA) schemes; and
- (c) whether there are any initiatives being implemented to recruit more legal professionals and establish legal literacy programs in Dhubri to promote legal awareness and reduce the gap in access to justice?

## 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 National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, inter-alia lays down the policies, guidelines and formulates schemes for  the  State  Legal  Services  Authorities  (SLSAs)  to  implement  these  throughout  the country towards making legal aid available to the weaker sections of society. The District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Dhubri, operating under the supervision of the Assam SLSA, has taken several initiatives, including the following to strengthen access to justice, particularly for the marginalised, economically disadvantaged, and geographically vulnerable populations such as those residing in flood-prone and remote areas:

- (i) To bridge the accessibility gap and enhance the outreach of legal services, DLSA, Dhubri has deployed Mobile Legal Aid Clinics equipped with Panel Lawyers and Para Legal Volunteers (PLVs). These mobile units serve as critical delivery vehicles for  providing  on-the-spot  legal  counselling  and  services  in  char  areas  and  other remote habitations. In the past year, the mobile legal aid van was deployed on seven occasions across the district.
- (ii) Legal aid clinics have been set up in underserved areas in consultation with Gram Panchayats  and  local  authorities  to  ensure  availability  of  legal  services  at  the grassroots level.
- (b): DLSA, Dhubri has undertaken number of legal literacy and outreach initiatives. During the past three years, 69 Legal Awareness Camps were organised in collaboration with the educational  institutions,  panchayats,  police  stations,  and  civil  society  organisations  to disseminate information about the rights and entitlements under various NALSA schemes. Approximately  9,295  beneficiaries  as  entitled  under  Section  12  of  the  Legal  Services Authorities Act, 1987, have been reached through these programmes in the same period.

Further,  Special  Flood  Relief  Legal  Aid  Camps  were  also  conducted  during  disaster seasons at relief centres, coordinated through a district-level Core Group according to the Schemes  for  Legal  Services  to  Disaster  Victims  through  Legal  Services  Authorities.  In addition, door-to-door awareness campaigns by Para Legal Volunteers (PLVs), use of IEC materials  in  local  languages,  and  announcements  through  the  District  Information  and Public Relations Office (DIPRO) further contributed to awareness-building efforts.

- (c): To strengthen institutional capacity and promote early awareness of legal rights, DLSA, Dhubri has undertaken the following:
- (i) Presently,  26  Para  Legal  Volunteers,  6  Mediators,  and  12  Panel  Lawyers  are engaged under DLSA, Dhubri.
- (ii) Legal  Literacy  Clubs  have  been  established  in  5  educational  institutions  which conducted 16 legal literacy programmes during the last three years.
- (iii) 30 training and refresher workshops have been conducted, covering 279 PLVs and panel lawyers during the last three years.

- (iv) Legal Aid Clinics have been established at 12 locations, including police stations, panchayats,  the  law  college,  District  Jail,  Dhubri  Medical  College,  the  CWC/JJB and  the  Sakhi  One  Stop  Centre,  providing  sustained  and  community-anchored access to legal aid.

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