₹1 Crore Earmarked For Providing Assistance To Advocates In Indigent Condition Due To COVID19: Advocates Welfare Fund Trust Informs Delhi HC

The Trust further informed the Division Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan that this support will be provided over and above the fund earmarked earlier for reimbursing advocates for expenses incurred in COVID19 treatment.

The order has come in a PIL filed by Vaibhav Sharma seeking financial assistance for advocates suffering from COVID19.

Appearing for the Trust, Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain submitted that the meeting of the subcommittee had decided to extend the scope of the ex-gratia support to those advocates also who are not the patients of COVID19 but are in indigent condition due to the COVID19 lockdown.

Earlier, the Trust had earmarked ₹2 crore for reimbursing the medical expenses incurred by the advocates in getting their treatment done for COVID19.

'We appreciate the Bar Council of Delhi of releasing all the dues under Section 15 of the Act', Mr Jain submitted.

Appearing for the Petitioner, Senior Advocate S Hariharan argued that the process of disbursing the relief shall be decentralised.

Mr Hariharan submitted that the advocates b should be allowed to approach their respective Bar Associations for seeking relief instead of directly coming to the Trust.

'It shall be recorded that we don't think this fund is sufficient', Mr Hariharan submitted.

Countering this argument, Mr Jain informed the court that the relief is already being disbursed to the accounts of the beneficiaries through RTGS/NEFT mode.

In light of the submissions, the court disposed of the petition by noting that the Trust has taken enough steps to assist the suffering advocates and there's no need to further monitor the present petition.

However, the court further highlighted:

'We expect the Trust to increase the relief amount and expand its membership as and when its financial condition improves. Reminders for taking the membership can be sent to advocates through text messages.'