(a) the data regarding the progress of the Tele-Law scheme, including the number of legal practitioners participating in the scheme and the number of Para Legal Volunteers appointed;
(b) the detail of the cost incurred on the scheme till date; and
(c) whether any measures have been undertaken to increase access to justice and legal literacy in rural India and if so, details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR LAW & JUSTICE
AND CORPORATE AFFAIRS
(SHRI P.P.CHAUDHARY)
(a) Tele law programme seeks to provide free legal advice through Common Service Centres (CSC) in 1,800 gram panchayats in 11 States of the country. The state-wise breakup of CSCS where Tele-Law programme is implemented is at Annexure-A. As on date, 19 panel lawyers have been appointed for providing legal advice. A total of 2,977 Para Legal Volunteers (PLVs), Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) and Panel Lawyers have been trained under the Tele-Law Programme. As on 09.03.2018, 14, 184 persons have registered for seeking advice in the Tele Law portal, and out of these legal advice has been provided in 11,339 cases.
(b) A total of Rs.86.60 lakh has been incurred on various activities including payment of honorarium to Panel Lawyers, PLVs, expenditure incurred for their training, development of software and hosting the application software, design and distribution of promotion and publicity materials.
(c) The Government and the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) have undertaken a number of measures to increase access to justice and legal literacy in rural areas.
(i) The NALSA and Legal Services Authorities (LSAs) from Supreme Court to taluka level courts provide free panel lawyers to people of poorer and weaker sections of society for legal advice, drafting of applications and filling up of various forms, making personal appearance in the court and providing certified copies of judgements. The LSAs also pay court fee on behalf of marginalized litigants who cannot afford to make payment. In special cases where court appoints commissions for marginalized persons, the LSAs make payment to the commissioners and incur expenditure for summoning of witnesses. The NALSA Legal Aid Clinics Regulations, 2011 provide for establishment of legal services clinics at all villages, or for a cluster of villages, depending on the size of such villages. Details of legal aid clinics established in villages/rural areas all over the country and the beneficiaries thereof (during the period from April, 2017 to December, 2017) are at Annexure-B.
(ii) The Government in partnership with UNDP has implemented Access to Justice Project in eight States namely, UP, Bihar, M.P, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Odisha and Maharashtra from 2009 to 2017. Under the project legal awareness campaigns were undertaken in partnership with State Governments, State Legal Services Authorities and civil society organizations.
(iii) The Government has also been implementing one Access to Justice Project since 2012 in 8 States of the North East and the State of Jammu & Kashmir. Under the project similar legal awareness campaigns and legal aid activities were undertaken in partnership with the State Governments, State Legal Services Authorities and civil society organizations. As part of creating legal awareness amongst the various stakeholders, Information Education Communication (IEC) materials have been published and distributed in English, Hindi as well as various local languages including Assamese, Bengali, Nepali, Bodo, Karbi, Limboo, Bhutia, Kokborok, Lepcha, Rabha, Garo, Manipur. This material is available on the website of the Department of Justice at http://www.tele-law.in/static/iec-materials.php.
(iv) In April, 2017, the Government has launched new legal aid schemes for the poor namely, Tele Law and Pro Bono Legal Services. Under the Pro Bono legal service scheme, 220 advocates have volunteered their services for marginalized.
(v) Legal aid clinics were set up in rural areas where panel lawyers provide free legal advice and draft applications on behalf of the marginalized.
*****
ANNEXURE- A
Annexure as referred to in reply to the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3164 for 14.03.2018 raised by S/Shri Kunwar Bharatendra regarding Tele-law Scheme
Statement showing State-wise break-up of CSCs where Tele-law programme is implemented.
Sr No. Name of State Number of CSCs where Tele Law service is provided
1 Uttar Pradesh 500
2 Bihar 500
3 Assam 450
4 Arunachal Pradesh 29
5 Nagaland 43
6 Mizoram 12
7 Manipur 21
8 Tripura 40
9 Meghalaya 45
10 Sikkim 10
11 Jammu & Kashmir 150
Total 1800
*****
ANNEXURE-B
Annexure as referred to in reply to the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.3164 for 14.03.2018 raised by S/Shri Kunwar Bharatendra regarding Tele-law Scheme
State-wise number of Legal Services Clinics established in villages/ rural areas in the country and persons provided legal assistance during the current financial year 2017-18 on the basis of information furnished by State Legal Services Authoriteis.
S.No. Name of the SLSAs Number of Village Legal Services Clinics established as on 31.12.2017 Number of persons provided Legal Assistance
1 Andhra Pradesh 457 8012
2 Arunachal Pradesh 0 0
3 Assam 146 1377
4 Bihar 112 614
5 Chhattisgarh 279 26511
6 Goa 61 1318
7 Gujarat 487 4284
8 Haryana 321 112365
9 Himachal Pradesh 893 11924
10 Jammu & Kashmir 131 7252
11 Jharkhand 382 20950
12 Karnataka 147 6019
13 Kerala 173 6907
14 Madhya Pradesh 555 7754
15 Maharashtra 387 2706
16 Manipur 54 2676
17 Meghalaya 104 1805
18 Mizoram 57 2763
19 Nagaland 89 1398
20 Odisha 262 3427
21 Punjab 274 12028
22 Rajasthan 6243 91943
23 Sikkim 12 109
24 Tamil Nadu 551 1019
25 Telangana 260 2499
26 Tripura 317 14161
27 Uttar Pradesh 44 651
28 Uttarakhand 120 1383
29 West Bengal 593 24820
30 A & N Islands 0 0
31 U.T. Chandigarh 9 4401
32 D&N Haveli 12 0
33 Daman & Diu 6 0
34 Delhi 0 0
35 Lakshadweep 0 0
36 Puducherry 55 7
Total 13593 383083
*****