Dist Bar Assn demands toll exemption, stipend for young advocates
The newly elected executive body of the Amritsar Bar Association welcomed Manan Kumar Mishra, Chairman, Bar Council of India and Rajya Sabha member, and Karanjit Singh, member of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana, during their visit to the district courts here on Sunday.
The executive raised the issues being faced by the legal fraternity, especially young lawyers. In a memorandum submitted to Mishra, the association demanded that lawyers should be exempted from paying the toll tax.
They said norms for providing free legal aid should be made stricter and proper verification of income of the applicant should be done before providing free legal aid. The association further sought stipend for young lawyers.
District Bar Association president Gurpreet Singh Panesar said, “Lawyers have to go to the high court in Chandigarh and to other district courts to represent litigants. Owing to hefty toll tax fee at various places, a lawyer has to spend a substantial sum of money on paying the toll fee.”
Panesar said they have also demanded a stipend for young lawyers as they are new in the profession. He said stipend would help these lawyers practice law without worrying about their expenses.
The association said free legal aid should strictly be made available to litigants who cannot afford to engage a private lawyer. He said many litigants who are well-to-do are also getting benefit of free legal aid which is against the interests of the legal fraternity and contradictory to the spirt of free legal aid services.
On the occasion, Manan Kumar Mishra announced a financial aid of Rs 10 lakh to the Bar association on behalf of the Bar Council of India. Further, Karanjit Singh handed over a cheque for Rs 2 lakh to the association on behalf of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana.
