New Delhi, 21 December 2021: National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) does not maintain any specific data so as such to indicate that in how many cases victims of atrocities against Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) were provided legal services.
However, under Section 12 of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, NALSA has been empowered to provide free legal services to a member of Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes irrespective of their income. NALSA does not make any distinction regarding the category of cases in which the assistance is sought by any person belonging to the SC and ST categories and provide all sort of assistance to the said categories.
The details of the persons belonging to SC and ST category were benefited through legal services under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, during the financial year 2020-21 and the current financial year 2021-22 (upto October, 2021) are as under:-
| Years | No. of persons belongs to SC category were benefited through Legal Services. | No. of persons belongs to ST category were benefited through Legal Services. |
| 2020-21 | 33335 | 39064 |
| 2021-22 (upto Oct.21) | 220237 | 211171 |
NALSA does not maintain any specific data so as such to indicate that how many awareness camps were organised under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and Rules 1995.
However, Legal Awareness Camps for poor and marginalized communities including SC/STs were organised by State Legal Services Authorities under the aegis of NALSA.
The details of the programmes organised and persons attended these programmes during the financial year 2020-21 and the current financial year 2021-22 (upto October, 2021) are as under:-
| Years | Programmes organized | Persons attended |
| 2020-21 | 126541 | 1,30,69,637 |
| 2021-22 (upto Oct.21) | 532808 | 24,16,45,242 |
No specific funds have been allocated to NALSA to support victims under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and Rules 1995.
However, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the implementation of the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 is in force, under which the Central Assistance is released to the States for effective implementation of the PCR Act, 1955 and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and the Rules made thereunder. The funding pattern of the Scheme is as such that total expenditure over and above the committed liability is shared on 50:50 basis between the Central Government and concerned State Government and the Union Territory Administration receives 100% Central assistance.
Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme assistance is provided to State Government/Union Territory mainly for functioning and strengthening of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Protection Cell and Special Police Stations, Setting up and functioning of exclusive Special Courts, Relief and Rehabilitation of atrocity victims, Cash incentive for Inter-Caste Marriages and Awareness generation.