DIMAPUR — A total of 4,603 individuals from Nagaland had benefited free legal services provided by the Legal Services Institutions during 2023-24, while as many as 708 have availed the service this current 2024-25 period, up to May 2024.
Regarding funds allocated by National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) to the legal services authorities in Nagaland for organising legal aid programmes, INR 2,20,00,000 (INR 2.20 crore) was allocated during 2023-24 and INR 42,00,000 (INR 42 lakh) for the current year 2024-25, up to July 18, 2024.
This was informed by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Law and Justice and Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Arjun Ram Meghwal in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Friday.
It also mentioned that during 2021-22, a total of 7,750 individuals from Nagaland benefited from the free legal services provided by the Legal Services Institutions, while total fund allocated for organising legal aid programmes was INR 1, 15, 00,000 (INR 1.15 crore).
In 2022-23, a total of 7,390 individuals received free legal services, while fund allocation amounted to INR 2, 75, 00,000 (INR 2.75 crore).
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 also prepared booklets and pamphlets in easy language on various laws which are distributed amongst the people and more than 4.30 lakh legal awareness programmes were organised during the year 2023-24, which were attended by 4.49 crore people, he added.
The minister mentioned that the Centre allocates and releases funds under grant-in-aid to NALSA on yearly basis, and the amount released during the years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 was INR 145 crore, INR 190 crore and INR 400 crore respectively.
For the current year (2024-25), grants-in-aid of INR 200 crore have been allocated to NALSA, out of which INR 83 crore has been released so far.