Assam State Legal Services Authority (ASLSA) In Aid of Needy For Legal Service

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Assam, like many other States of the country, has a mechanism with a well-crafted network to provide free-of-cost legal services to the needy. This legal mechanism with as many as 1,001 empanelled advocates can be used to the fullest extent now in the aid of over 19 lakh people who have been found ineligible for inclusion in the final NRC.

The State Government and many other parties and organizations have been assuring the people who have been found ineligible for inclusion in the final NRC of extending free-of-cost legal aid for moving foreigners tribunals (FTs). Neither the State government, nor any other party or organization, has spelt it out as to how such free of cost legal services will be provided to them.

Under the National Legal Services Authority (NLSA), the State has Assam State Legal Services Authority (ASLSA) that has a well-crafted network 33 district legal services authorities (DLSAs) in as many districts in the State. This apart, the ASLSA has two taluks at the sub-divisional level – one each at Rangia and Pathsala – and the Gauhati High Court Legal Services Committee (GHCLSC). Apart from these, the ASLSA also has 1,015 paralegal volunteers at its disposal.

According to Section 12 of the Legal Services Authority Act, 1987, the State legal services authority can extend free-of-cost legal services to any person by itself and through its DLSAs, taluks and the HC Legal Services Committee. The Gauhati High Court Legal Services Committee alone has as many as 87 empanelled advocates with it and the ASLSA as a whole has 1,001 empanelled advocates, said ASLSA member-secretary Satya Nath Sarma. According to Sarma, anyone seeking free-of-cost legal aid in the Gauhati High Court will have to move through the GHCLSC. “The needy can avail this benefit either through applications or instantly at the time of hearing in the court. We’re also on the job of bringing about awareness on our free of cost legal aid,” he said.

Kamrup (M) DLSA secretary Jyotshna Das said: “We’ve 39 empanelled advocates at our disposal. We’ve sought applications from interested advocates to raise our strength.”

The free-of-cost legal aid through the ASLSA is open to eight categories of people – (i) SC and ST members, (ii) victims of human trafficking and baggers, (iii) women and children, (iv) persons with disabilities, (v) victims of mass disasters or ethnic cleansing, (vi) industrial workers, (vii) those in custody including custody in a protective home or in a psychiatric hospital and (viii) people with annual income less than Rs 3 lakh.

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