Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday announced 200 units free power scheme for lawyers’ chambers under Chief Minister Advocate Welfare Scheme. The Delhi Cabinet also accepted recommendations of a committee for spending a corpus of Rs 50 crore for welfare of lawyers.

 Kejriwal said lawyers having voting rights in Delhi will now benefit from Rs 5 lakh family mediclaim, Rs 10 lakh life insurance, and e-libraries and creches in all court premises in the city. The Government has also decided to apply domestic charges of power consumption for lawyers chambers.

In a cabinet meeting chaired by the chief minister, it was decided to convert commercial electricity connections to domestic connections in the chambers of advocates in Delhi and implement the recommendations made by Rakesh Khanna committee for spending Rs 50 Crores annual fund allotted for the welfare fund. 

“Today in the Delhi Cabinet has decided to convert commercial electricity connection to domestic connection in chambers of advocates in Delhi. With this decision, like other domestic users, advocates also will get free electricity up to 200 units per month and 50 per cent subsidy up to 400 units, in their chambers”, Kejriwal said.

Pertinently, in 201, it was decided in Delhi cabinet and an exercise was carried out by the Power department to extend the electricity subsidy to the Lawyers Chambers in the court complexes in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi.

“It shows that there are 4902 connections for lawyers’ chambers in Delhi NCT. In terms of usage, 4007 connections fall under up to 200 units, 665 up to 400 units and 230 above 400 per month,” 

“This special subsidy scheme will cost approximately Rs 5.93 Crores per year, i.e. Rs 2.88 Crores as Fixed Charges, Rs 2.63 Crores as Energy Charges and Rs 0.42 Crore as Additional Rs 800 for 201-400 units,” said a Delhi government official.

Besides this, Delhi Government also announced four more projects under welfare scheme for the Advocates. 

Government announced - Mediclaim up to Rs 5 Lakhs,  life Insurance worth Rs 10 Lakhs, e-library in all courts in Delhi and 4 Crèches in six district courts in Delhi.

“The first two projects will also be covered for the family members of the advocates — his/ her spouse and 2 dependent children.

Nearly 40000 advocates enrolled in the Supreme Court, Delhi High Court, District Courts, and other tribunals will benefit”, the Chief Minister added.