Online Single Window System For Seamless Payment To Empanelled Lawyers Will Be Operational Within Two Weeks: Delhi Govt Tells High Court

The Delhi Government on Tuesday told the Delhi High Court that the Online Single Window System (OSWS) portal for seamless processing of payment of professional fees to the standing counsels will be made operational within two weeks.

The Delhi Government told a division bench comprising of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora that the aspect of fee revision, including cap on appearances, of the empanelled lawyers is pending consideration with the Law Minister.

The bench directed Delhi Government's Law Minister to expeditiously take a decision on the fee revision of the standing counsels.

Delhi Government's counsel, Santosh Tripathi, told the court that it took eight years for the authorities to activate the online system and that the system for payment of fees to standing counsels must be transparent.

The court was dealing with a plea moved by Advocate Piyush Gupta seeking clearance of bills of various government counsels engaged with the Delhi Government, Centre and municipal bodies.

The bills have been kept pending for long, the plea alleges. Despite various representations being made by the aggrieved counsels as well judicial orders, the concerned departments have not cleared the bill, the court has been told earlier.

While listing the case for hearing next on April 09, the court asked the Union Government's counsel to also seek instructions in the matter.

A single bench in November last year had also directed the Delhi Government to immediate take steps for operationalizing the OSWS portal within the one month. The case is fixed for hearing in March.

Title: PIYUSH GUPTA v. GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI AND ORS

Citation: 2024 LiveLaw (Del) 85