Question : Legal Services to Victims of Acid Attacks

(a) whether the National Legal Services Authority has launched a scheme to provide legal services to the victims of acid attacks, if so, the details thereof and the main objectives of the schemes;

(b) the number of acid victims who are provided legal aid under this scheme during each of the last three years and the current year;

(c) whether Government has created awareness among acid victims about this scheme and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government has framed special schemes for acid attack victims to take up their cases on priority basis in courts;

(e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor along with the number of pending acid attack cases in different courts in the country; and

(f) the other steps taken by the Government for prompt disposal of victims of acid attack cases in a time bound manner?

ANSWER
MINISTER OF LAW & JUSTICE, COMMUNICATIONS AND
ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

(a) to (f) National Legal Services Authority has framed NALSA (Legal Services to Victims of Acid Attacks) Scheme, 2016 under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 for providing legal services to the victims of acid attacks. The main objectives of the scheme are as follows:
(i) to strengthen legal aid and representation at the National, State, District and Taluka levels for victims of acid attacks in availing the benefits of the extant legal provisions and schemes for compensation;
(ii) to enable the victims of acid attacks to get access to medical facilities and rehabilitative services;
(iii) to create and spread awareness about the entitlements of the victims of acid attacks through the District Legal Services Authorities, Taluka Legal Services Committees, panel lawyers, para-legal volunteers and legal services clinics;
(iv) to enhance capacities at all the levels of panel lawyers, para-legal volunteers, volunteers in legal services clinics, government officials, service providers, police personnel, non-governmental organizations by organizing training, orientation and sensitization programmes; and
(v) to undertake research and documentation to study the various schemes, laws etc. to find out the gaps and to make remedial suggestions to the appropriate authorities.
As per information made available, the number of acid attack victims who got compensation under this scheme during the last three years viz. 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 is as under:
No. of Acid Attack Victims who got compensation under the scheme
2016-17 2017-18 2018-19
201 249 232

The Legal Services Institutions are organizing legal awareness programmes to sensitize people to the needs of the victims of acid attacks so that the community provides support to the victims which is essential for their rehabilitation. Awareness is also being spread through Doordarshan, All India Radio besides distribution of pamphlets, leaflets etc. The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India has issued an advisory dated 20.04.2015 on expediting cases of acid attack on women wherein the States/UTs were requested to take proactive measures to expedite investigation, trial of acid attack cases and bring them under a definite time frame.