13-Member Lawyers' Committee To Recommend Use Of Delhi Chief Minister's 50Cr. Advocates' Welfare Fund

In February this year, Kejriwal had announced a budgetary provision of annual Rs 50-crore allowance for various welfare schemes for lawyers in Delhi-NCR, at a programme organized at the Tis Hazari court complex.

"Keeping in mind various demands made by various Advocates' Associations on different occasions, we have decided that the government will not decide the manner in which the fund is to be utilized. We have established a 13-member committee, comprising one representative each from all lawyers' bodies, who will make recommendations regarding how the funds will be used. A report of these recommendations will have to be submitted within a period of ten days," he announced today.

He then said that these recommendations will form the basis of the govt. scheme for utilization of Chief Minister's Advocates' Welfare Fund.

Last year, the Delhi Bar Councilhad written to the PM requesting an annual grant of Rs 200 crore to help it "streamline the legal system", build adequate infrastructure including a lawyers' academy and support needy lawyers and litigants.

In February, Kejriwal led govt. announced the Welfare Fund worth Rs. 50 crore.

"We had announced the Chief Minister's Advocates' Welfare Fund under which an amount of Rs 50 Crores was earmarked in the Budget of 2019-20. The Government of Delhi recognizes the contribution made by the lawyers and had fulfilled the demand of the Lawyers for a separate scheme for their welfare. I believe this is the first time that a Government anywhere has put aside an amount as large as this for the benefit of lawyers," he said today while addressing the media.

This fund will operate independent of the fund collected under Advocates' Welfare Act, 2001.

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