DLSA

10. The number, experience and qualifications of members of the District Authority under clause (b) of sub-section (2) of section 9,-

• the District Authority shall have not more than eight members;
• the following shall be the ex-officio members of the District Authority:-
  • District Magistrate;
  • Superintendent of Police of the district ;
  • Chief judicial Magistrate of the district; and
  • District Government Pleader;
• the State Government may nominate, in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court, other members from amongst those possessing the qualifications and experience provided in sub-rule (4);
• a person shall not be qualified for nominations as a member of the District authority, unless he is,-
• an eminent Social Worker who is engaged in the upliftment of the weaker sections of the people, including Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, women, children and rural labourers; or
• an eminent person in the field of law ; or
• a person of repute who is specially interested in the implementation of the Legal Services Schemes.

11. The number of officers and other employees of the District Authority under sub-section (5) of section 9,- 
The District Authority shall have such number of officers and other employees for rendering secretarial assistance and for its day-to-day functions as are set out in Scheduled-C to these rules.

12. The conditions of service and the salary and allowances of the officers and other employees of the District Authority under sub-section (6) of section 9,-

• the officers and other employees of the District Authority shall be entitled to draw pay and allowances in the scale of pay indicated against each post in Schedule C to these rules;
• in all matters relating to service conditions like age of retirement, allowances, benefits and entitlements and in disciplinary matters, the officers and other employees of the District Authority shall be governed by the State Government Rules as are applicable to persons holding equivalent posts.

9. DISTRICT LEGAL SERVICES AUTHORITY.-

(1) The State Government shall in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court, constitute a body to be called the District Legal Services Authority for every District in the State to exercise the powers and perform the functions conferred on, or assigned to the District Authority under this Act.

(2) A District Authority shall consist of :-

• (a) the District Judge who shall be its Chairman; and
• (b) such number of other Members, possessing such experience and qualifications as may be prescribed by the State Government, to be nominated by that Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court.

(3) The State Authority shall, in consultation with the Chairman of the District Authority appoint a person belonging to the State Judicial Service not lower in rank than that of a Subordinate Judge or Civil Judge posted at the seat of the District Judiciary as Secretary of the District Authority to exercise such powers and perform such duties under the Chairman of that Committee as maybe assigned to him by such Chairman.

(4) The terms of office and other conditions relating thereto, of Members and Secretary of the District Authority shall be such as may be determined by regulations made by the State Authority in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court.

(5) The District Authority may appoint such number of officers and other employees as may be prescribed by the State Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court for the efficient discharge of its functions.

(6) The officers and other employees of the District Authority shall be entitled to such salary and allowances and shall be subject to such other conditions of service as may be prescribed by the State Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court.

(7) The administrative expenses of every District Authority, including the salaries, allowances and pensions payable to the Secretary, officers and other employees of the District Authority shall be defrayed out of the Consolidated Fund of the State.

(8) All orders and decisions of the District Authority shall be authenticated by the Secretary or by any other officer of the District Authority duly authorized by the Chairman of that Authority.

(9) No Act or proceeding of a District Authority shall be invalid merely on the ground of the existence of any vacancy in, or any defect in the constitution of the District Authority.

10. FUNCTIONS OF THE DISTRICT AUTHORITY .-

• (1) It shall be the duty of every District Authority to perform such of the functions of the State Authority in the district as may be delegated to it from time to time by the State Authority.
• (2) Without prejudice to the generality of the functions referred to in sub-section (1), the District Authority may perform all or any of the following functions, namely:-
  • [(a) co-ordinate the activities of the Taluk Legal Services Committee and other legal services in the District;]
  • (b) organize Lok Adalats within the District; and
  • (c) perform such other functions 2[ x x x ] as the State Authority may fix by regulations.

11. DISTRICT AUTHORITY TO ACT IN CO-ORDINATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES AND BE SUBJECT TO DIRECTIONS GIVEN BY THE CENTRAL AUTHORITY, ETC –

In the discharge of its functions under this Act, the District Authority shall, wherever appropriate, act in co-ordination with other governmental and non-governmental institutions, universities and others engaged in the work of promoting the cause of legal services to the poor and shall also be guided by such directions as the Central Authority or the State Authority may give to it in writing.

9. Secretary, District Authority-

• The Secretary of the District Authority appointed under sub-section (3) of section 9 of the Act, shall act, exercise and perform the duties of the Secretary of the District Authority in addition to the duties to be discharged by him as a Judicial Officer.
• The Secretary shall be the principal officer of the District Authority and shall be custodian of all assets, accounts records and funds placed at the disposal of the District Authority.
• The Secretary shall maintain or cause to be maintained true and proper accounts of the receipts and disbursements of the funds of the District Authority.
• The Secretary shall convene meetings of the District Authority with the previous approval of the Chairman and shall also attend meetings, and shall be responsible for maintaining a record of the minutes of the proceedings of the meetings.

9A. Term of office of nominated members of District Authority:- 
The term of office of the members of the District Authority nominated under sub-rule (3) of rule 10 of the Rules shall be for three years.

10. Meetings of the District Authority-

• The District Authority shall ordinarily meet once a month on such date and at such place, as the Secretary may, in consultation with the Chairman, decide.
• The Chairman, and in the absence of the Chairman, a person chosen by the members present from amongst themselves shall preside at the meeting of the District Authority.
• The procedure at any meeting of the District Authority shall be such as the District Authority may determine.
• The minutes of the proceedings of each meeting shall be truly and faithfully maintained by the Secretary and such minutes shall be open to inspection at all reasonable times by the members of the District Authority. A copy of the minutes shall, as soon as may be after the meeting, be forwarded to the Chairman of the District Authority.
• The quorum for the meeting shall be three including the Chairman or the member presiding over the meeting.
• All questions at the meeting of the District Authority shall be decided by a majority of the members present and voting and in case of a tie the person presiding shall have a second or casting vote.

11. Funds of the District Authority-

• The funds of the District Authority established under section 17 of the Act, shall be maintained in a Scheduled Bank.
• For the purpose of meeting the incidental minor charges such as court fee, stamps and expenditure necessary for obtaining copies of document, etc., a permanent advance of rupees two thousand shall be placed at the disposal of the Secretary of the District Authority.
• All expenditure on legal aid and advice, provisions of other legal services as also expenditure necessary for carrying out the various functions of the District Authority, shall be met out of the funds of the District Authority and in accordance with such rules as may be made by the District Authority with the prior approval of the State Authority. The Secretary shall operate the bank accounts of the District Authority.
• The District Authority shall cause to be kept and maintained true and correct accounts of all receipts and disbursements and furnish quarterly return to the State Authority. Such accounts shall be audited in accordance with the provisions of section 18 of the Act.