National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) is taking steps to establish legal aid clinics in all villages or clusters of villages depending upon their geographical area. NALSA has framed the National Legal Services Authority (Legal Aid Clinics) Schemes, 2010. In the NALSA’s National Plan of Action for the year 2011-12, establishment of legal aid clinics in all villages and for a cluster of villages has been envisaged, subject to availability of funds. Giving this information in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today, Shri Salman Khurshid, Minister of Law & Justice, said that NALSA allocates funds to the State Legal Services Authorities for implementation of various schemes/ programmes, including setting up of Legal Aid Clinics in villages, framed under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. There are no separate funds earmarked for the purpose of setting up of legal aid clinics and also there is no time-frame fixed for the establishment of legal aid clinics in villages, Shri Khurshid informed the House.
