Delhi High Court Seeks Responses on PIL Seeking Transparency in Advocates’ Welfare Fund
The PIL also seeks information regarding the Fund’’s income, expenditure, investments, bank accounts, fixed deposits, welfare payments made, annual accounts and audit reports.
Issuing notices to the Centre, Delhi government and the Bar Council of Delhi (BCD), a Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia of the Delhi High Court directed the respondents to file their affidavits and posted the matter for further hearing in December.
The High Court passed the order after an organisation called First Generation Lawyers Association (FGLA) filed a PIL seeking directions to BCD and the Advocates’ Welfare Fund Trustee Committee to publish the details of income and expenditure of the Fund.
The plea filed through Advocate Rudra Vikram Singh also seeks directions for the creation of an online portal where all this information is updated from time to time and can be accessed by advocates.
The PIL states that under the Advocates’ Welfare Fund Act, 2001, the Advocates’ Welfare Fund is comprised of contributions received from advocates including through welfare fund stamps mandatory on vakalatnamas issued by them, among others statutory contributions.
The plea claimed that the fund received a total amount of ₹22.54 crore during the years 2001-02 to 20 20-21 out of which ₹7.13 crore were paid towards medical benefits, other benefits and ex gratia payments. As on March 4, 20 21, about ₹15.57 crore was available with the Fund including ₹10.39 crore as fixed deposits, it said.
FGLA has also sought directions to formulate a policy to fix every year an amount to be dedicated for providing welfare benefits to members out of the amount available with the Fund. It has also sought directions to formulate a scheme for extending financial assistance to advocates for a period of up to 1 year from the date of their enrolment as advocates and to provide group life insurance to the members of the Fund.
It also seeks directions to put in place a digital system for receipt, registration and processing of welfare applications, wherein the applicants would be able to track the status of their applications, know if any additional documents are required and would be intimated of decisions within a reasonable time.
Appearing for FGLA are Advocates Ashirvad Kumar Yadav, Tarshith Bhardwaj, Sanat Vadehra and Rashmi.
