Section 4(2) in The Maharashtra State legal Aid and Advice Board
(2)The Board shall be in overall charge of the administration and implementation of the legal services programme in the State and shall in particular exercise the following powers and perform the following functions, namely :-(a)allot funds to the various Committees from out of the amount placed at its disposal by the State Government;(b)control, regulate and supervise the working of the various Committees;(c)lay down policies and give general or special directions to the various Committees for the proper administration and implementation of the legal service programme and for proper and adequate discharge of their duties and functions;(d)call for and receive from the various Committees from time to time such reports, returns and information as may be considered necessary in regard to the administration and implementation of the legal services programme;(e)prepare, consolidate and submit to the State Government by the first week of May every year a general report regarding the administration and working of the legal services programme during the previous financial year;(f)encourage and promote conciliation and settlement in legal proceedings;(g)promote legal literacy and create awareness amongst the weaker sections of the community in regard to the rights, benefits and privileges conferred upon them by social welfare legislation and other enactments;(h)enlighten the people in rural areas about agrarian reforms and facilities made available to them by the Central Government or the State Government from time to time and render legal services where necessary;(i)arrange for publicity of important legislation concerning women, bonded labour, industrial workers, agricultural labour, tenants, agriculturists, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and other weaker sections of the community, as also legislation dealing with social and economic reforms;(j)render assistance to the members of the weaker sections of the society in complying with necessary legal requirements in order to secure the benefits under the various schemes sponsored by the Central or the State Government for the welfare of the public in general, or of any section thereof;(k)organise legal aid camps for the purpose of reaching legal services to the weaker sections of the community in rural areas and in slums;(l)arrange for holding Lok Nyayalayas in different areas for the purpose of bringing about voluntary settlement of disputes;(m)prepare a cadre of social workers for para-legal services;(n)help the various Committees to set up legal service centres within their respective jurisdictions;(o)encourage law colleges and law faculties of Universities to set up projects for giving free legal service to the weaker sections of the community and to help them in running such projects;(p)hold and conduct seminars, conferences and campaigns for promotion of the legal services programme in all its aspects, including creation of public awareness and participate in all activities connected with the same;(q)undertake and promote research, experiment and innovation in the areas of law affecting the poor with the object of removing the injustices from which the poor suffer, bringing about fundamental institutional changes and effectuating reforms in the law with a view to making it serve the interests of the weaker sections of the community;(r)submit recommendations to the State Government regarding improvements in practice and procedure of the Courts so as to reduce the costs and delays in litigation;(s)suggest and recommend to the State Government such measures of law reforms as it considers necessary for the purpose of improving the socio-economic conditions of the weaker sections of the community and making social welfare legislation effective for them and draw the attention of the administrative bodies or authorities to their grievances and press for redress of such grievances;(t)undertake socio-legal survey and research into the life conditions of the weaker sections of the community with a view to ascertaining their problems and difficulties and determining how far and to what extent social legislation has been able to achieve the object and purpose for which it was enacted and to utilise social workers and the student force for the purpose;(u)appoint expert committees for the purpose of assessment and evaluation of the legal services programme undertaken by the Board and its various Committees;(v)carry on such other activities as are incidental and conducive to the objects of the legal services programme; and(w)perform such other duties and discharge such other functions, for the purpose of effectively implementing the legal services programme, as the State Government may direct.
