Executive Summary:
This document is a response to a parliamentary question regarding access to justice and legal aid in Dhubri. It outlines the steps taken by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Dhubri, under the supervision of the Assam State Legal Services Authority (SLSA) and guided by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), to provide legal aid and awareness, especially to marginalized and economically disadvantaged communities. The response covers initiatives related to mobile legal aid, legal literacy programs, and recruitment of legal professionals.
Key Points / Main Content:
Access to Justice Initiatives:
* DLSA, Dhubri operates under the supervision of Assam SLSA and adheres to NALSA guidelines to provide legal aid to weaker sections.
* Mobile Legal Aid Clinics, equipped with Panel Lawyers and Para Legal Volunteers (PLVs), have been deployed in char areas and remote locations. The mobile legal aid van was deployed seven times in the past year.
* Legal aid clinics have been set up in underserved areas in consultation with Gram Panchayats and local authorities.
Legal Literacy and Outreach:
* 69 Legal Awareness Camps were organized in the past three years, reaching approximately 9,295 beneficiaries as entitled under Section 12 of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
* Special Flood Relief Legal Aid Camps were conducted during disaster seasons.
* Door-to-door awareness campaigns by PLVs, IEC materials in local languages, and announcements through the District Information and Public Relations Office (DIPRO) were utilized.
Institutional Capacity Building:
* Currently, DLSA, Dhubri engages 26 Para Legal Volunteers, 6 Mediators, and 12 Panel Lawyers.
* Legal Literacy Clubs have been established in 5 educational institutions, which conducted 16 legal literacy programs in the last three years.
* 30 training and refresher workshops have been conducted, covering 279 PLVs and panel lawyers during the last three years.
* Legal Aid Clinics have been established at 12 locations, including police stations, panchayats, the law college, District Jail, Dhubri Medical College, the CWCJJB and the Sakhi One Stop Centre.
Impact Analysis:
Marginalized and Economically Disadvantaged Communities:
* Impact: Improved access to legal aid and counselling, increased awareness of legal rights, and reduced barriers to justice.
* Action Required: Utilize available legal services and participate in legal awareness programs.
Gram Panchayats and Local Authorities:
* Impact: Collaboration in setting up legal aid clinics in underserved areas.
* Action Required: Support the establishment and operation of legal aid clinics.
Educational Institutions:
* Impact: Involvement in legal literacy programs and establishment of Legal Literacy Clubs.
* Action Required: Conduct legal literacy programs and support Legal Literacy Clubs.
Panel Lawyers and Para Legal Volunteers:
* Impact: Active engagement in providing legal aid and conducting awareness campaigns.
* Action Required: Participate in training workshops and provide on-the-spot legal counselling and services.
Assam State Legal Services Authority (SLSA):
* Impact: Responsible for the supervision of DLSA, Dhubri, and implementation of NALSA schemes.
* Action Required: Oversee and support the activities of DLSA, Dhubri.
Key Entities Referenced
Dhubri: A district in the state of Assam, India, which is the focus of the legal aid and awareness programs described in the document.
National Legal Services Authority (NALSA): A statutory body constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, responsible for laying down policies and schemes for legal aid services throughout India.
District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Dhubri: The district-level authority responsible for implementing legal aid programs and initiatives in Dhubri, Assam, under the supervision of the Assam State Legal Services Authority.
Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987: The Indian legislation under which the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs) are constituted.
Assam State Legal Services Authority (SLSA): The state-level body that supervises the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) in Dhubri, Assam.
Para Legal Volunteers (PLVs): Community volunteers who assist in providing legal aid and spreading legal awareness at the grassroots level.
Gram Panchayats: Village-level local self-government institutions that collaborate with DLSAs to set up legal aid clinics in underserved areas.
Arjun Ram Meghwal: Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs
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:
(1)(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.
(2)(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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