State To Release Rs 5 Crores For Benefit Of Advocates & Clerks, Karnataka Govt Tells HC

The State Government has decided to release an amount of Rs 5 crore for the benefit of Advocates and Advocates clerks who are in distress and need financial assistance due to closure of courts, submitted the Government Pleader before the High Court of  Karnataka.

A division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Oka and Justice M Nagaprasanna was informed by the Government Pleader that the government order will be issued within one week and the amount will be disbursed in favour of the Karnataka State Bar Council.

The bench has also directed the intervener, Advocates Clerks Association (Dharwad), to submit a representation to the Advocates Association High Court bench at Dharwad and to the District Bar association at Hubali. The representation shall include the list of advocates clerks who are in distress and in need of financial help. So that association can consider their cases.

Advocate Shivraj Balloli, appearing for the interveners, argued that there are 81 registered advocates clerks at Dharwad and 24 at court in Hubali, who have not formed an association. He informed the court that the intervention application has been served to the Bar association but no steps have been taken.

The President of the Advocates Bar Association, Advocate C S Patil appeared before the court but due to technical issues was not audible. The court thus posted the matter for further hearing on July 21. The bench said "We expect the bar association at dharwad bench to take appropriate decision."

Meanwhile, Advocate Anil Kumar, appearing for the Advocates Association of Bengaluru, informed the court that 204 registered advocate clerks have received an amount of Rs 5,000 and the committee set up by the association has received 28 more applications. The committee headed by Senior Advocate DLN Rao will scrutinize the applications and accordingly disburse the amount.

The Advocates Clerk Association through advocate Murthy D Naik had approached the court seeking direction to the state government to release a sum of Rs 10,000, for each member during the period of closure of court till commencement of normal functioning of courts.