Karnataka government to release 4 crore for Covid-hit advocates

Bengaluru: The State government on Tuesday informed the Karnataka High Court that in principle it was decided to release Rs 4 crore towards financial assistance to the members of the Bar to help them tide over the Covid-19 pandemic.

Advocate V Sreenidhi appearing for the government said, "In principle, approval has been granted for releasing an amount of Rs 4 crore for members of the Bar, the approval for release of the money will be granted once a new cabinet is formed under the recently appointed Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai."

It was also informed that the procedure in regard to opening bank account for depositing an amount of Rs 10 lakh for the benefit of registered advocates clerks, will be done as soon as the cabinet was formed.

The division bench headed by Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Suraj Govindaraj on Tuesday was hearing a plea seeking financial aid for advocate clerks owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During previous hearing, the court was informed that a committee as contemplated under sub-section (1) of Section 4 of the Karnataka Advocates Welfare Fund Act, 1983 (for short the Act of 1983) has been constituted which will manage the Karnataka Registered Clerks' Welfare Fund established under section 27 of the said Act of 1983.

The State government last year had released Rs 5 crore for the benefit of advocates and advocates clerks who were in distress and needed financial assistance due to closure of courts.