The Ministry of Law and Justice and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology launched the ‘Tele-Law’ scheme. The free legal consultation plan was launched by the Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. The scheme would allow access to justice and empowerment of the poor.
The Para Legal Volunteers (PLVs) and the Common Services Centers (CSCs) would offer easy legal advice to litigants in the rural parts of Uttar Pradesh. This would help to make them digitally and financially inclusive.
Via What is the Tele-law plan?
- Tele law is a program by Union Government to provide legal aid services in rural areas by applying digital technology.
- It is a continuation of the Access to Justice Project to Marginalized Persons implemented by UNDP in 2008.
- This pilot project in its first phase is launched across 1000 Common Service Centers (CSC) in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, testing 500 CSCs.
Services offered under the scheme
- A panel of lawyers from state capitals, via the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).
- Para Legal Volunteers (PLV) engaged by the CSC to provide legal advice and help people understand the legal issues.
- 1000 women PLVs to promote women participation and empowerment.
- Video conferencing with lawyers. This will allow people to seek legal advice and counseling.
- Legal school clinics, voluntary service providers, District Legal Service Authorities and Non-Government Organizations
Objectives of the scheme
- The Tele-Law scheme is aimed at giving legal aid an easy access to the poor people of the state of Uttar Pradesh
- The scheme would provide 500 common services centers within the state of Uttar Pradesh
The following list of services are available through Common Service Centers
G2C Services (Government to Citizen)
- Insurance services
- Passport
- Premium collection services of LIC, SBI, ICICI Prudential, AVIVA DHFL and other insurance companies
- e-Nagrik & e-District services
- E-courts and results services
- State electricity and water bill collection services
- IHHL Project of MoUD (Swachh Bharat)
- Digitize India
- Cyber Gram
- Services of Dept. of Post (NEW)
- PFRDA (Pension services)
- NIOS registration Apollo Telemedicine, NIELIT services
- Aadhaar printing & enrollment PAN card Electoral services
B2C Services (Business to Citizen)
- Online Cricket Course
- E-commerce sales (book, electronics, household items, etc.)
- IRCTC, Air, and Bus ticket services
- Agriculture Services
- Mobile and DTH recharge
- CSC bazaar
- English Speaking Course
- E-Learning
Reference details
The following link would allow you to locate the centers offering the services.
Implementation of the scheme
Under the scheme, the free of cost legal consultation would be provided to individual seekers. The government would soon also the Tele-Law portal to provide complete information about the initiative. A panel of lawyers would be provided through video conferencing by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).
Conclusion
The government may later connect law school clinics, District Legal Services Authorities, voluntary services providers and Non-Government organizations working on legal aid and empowerment to the CSC’s to strengthen the initiative.