The Government has sanctioned
Rs. 6 crores as grants-in-aid for National Legal Services Authority
( NALSA) for the current financial year 2002-2003 for implementation
of the provisions of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
NALSA is monitoring, implementing, evaluating, and overseeing
the free legal aids schemes for the poor in the country. Besides,
it is taking appropriate measures for spreading legal literacy
and legal awareness among the weaker sections of the society.
Under the 1987
Act, Lok Adalat has been given the status of Civil Court and every
award made by Lok Adalat is final and binding on all parties.
No appeal lies before any court against its award. State Legal
Services Authorities have , so far, set up Lok Adalats in all
the districts.
Process
has been set in motion for establishing of separate Lok Adalats
for different departments of the State Governments and public
sector undertakings for settling their cases in their office premises
itself.
The 2002 amendment in
the 1987 Act provides a mechanism for pre-litigation, conciliation
and settlement. Now, Permanent Lok Adalats are being set up for
settling cases relating to public utility services. Premanent
Lok Adalats have been vested with the powers to settle the matter
and pass a binding award ,which shall be deemed to be a decree
of the civil court and shall be final.
