Steps taken to provide benefits to advocates under welfare schemes, Delhi govt tells HC
Jun 06, 2020
New Delhi [India], June 6 : The Delhi government on Friday ensured the Bar Council of Delhi (BCD) that steps are being taken by Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) in respect to the Chief Minister's Advocates Welfare Scheme, 2020 during the hearing of a plea seeking medical and term insurance policy to advocates as promised.
The bench of Justice Pratibha Singh allowed the Delhi government counsels to place the concerned document on record, while slating the matter for June 18, following Advocate Rahul Mehra, Standing Counsel for Delhi government, wished to place certain documents on record showing the steps taken by GNCTD, to implement the Chief Minister's Advocates Welfare Scheme.
The petition moved by advocate KC Mittal, Chairman, BCD sought direction to the respondents to release the money and provide insurance policy covers for medical and term insurance, as per the welfare scheme to advocates, who have already been registered and have been approved in terms of cabinet decision and the public advertisement.
It was submitted that the advocates have been "desperately" waiting for the welfare schemes by Delhi government since January-February 2019, when the Chief Minister, Government of NCT of Delhi made a budgetary provision of Rs 50 crore for the financial year 2019-2020 and made a public announcement to the said effect for the welfare of the advocates.
The plea also mentioned that it was decided in the cabinet on December 18, 2019, to provide welfare scheme to the advocates under Chief Minister Advocates Welfare Scheme, according to which lawyers enrolled with the BCD and a voter of Delhi is entitled to register himself/herself and be a beneficiary of the scheme for medical insurance of Rs 5 lakh and term insurance of Rs 10 lakh.
It is submitted that no schemes were made available during 2019-2020 and even in "disastrous" COVID-19 crisis; nothing is done to "unedited" implementation of schemes.
The BCD is a statutory body under the Advocates Act and empowered to enrol law graduates on advocates.
BCD has now approached Delhi High Court seeking issuance of directions to the Delhi government to grant medical and term insurance policy to advocates whose names have been cleared and verified by the statutory body.
