AAP govt panel on advocates welfare recommends Rs 10 L group life insurance cover to lawyers

A 13-member panel, formed by the Delhi government to suggest ways to utilise a Rs 50-crore fund for advocates' welfare, has recommended setting up e-libraries and creche facilities in district courts, besides providing a group mediclaim policy of Rs 5 lakh and a life insurance cover of Rs 10 lakh for each lawyer.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had set up the committee, headed by the Supreme Court Bar Association president Rakesh Kumar Khanna, last month.

In the state budget, the AAP government had set aside a corpus of Rs 50 crore for the welfare of lawyers under the 'Chief Minister Advocates Welfare Scheme'.

The committee has submitted its report to the chief minister.

In its report, committee said it has been brought to the notice of this panel that the e-library facilities are lacking in the district court bar associations.

Accordingly, the committee has recommended that each of the six district courts be provided with 10 computers, fully loaded with e-journals along with their web editions, besides various other crucial law journals like SCC Online, All India Reporter, Manupatra, Delhi Law Times etc along with heavy duty printers.

The lawyers should be permitted to use this e-library free of cost, the report recommended, adding that the cost of printing of their case laws and legal material, however, should be worked out on actual basis.

According to the committee, there should be group (term) insurance for practising advocates providing a life cover of Rs 10 lakh per advocate.

There should also be a group mediclaim coverage for advocates, their spouse and two dependent children unto the age of 25 years, for a family floater sum insured of Rs 5 lakh, the report stated.

Committee also recommended creche facility for advocates and staff employees in each of the six district courts.

Around 40,115 advocates are likely to be treated as beneficiaries. The government will take a final decision on the committee's recommendations soon, an official said.