Conceding a major demand of the legal fraternity, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has announced to enhance the amount of life Insurance for the Advocates from `4.80 lakh to `10 lakh.
Speaking at a function organized by the Bar Council of Punjab, Haryana & Chandigarh to hand over the licenses to 200 advocates to enable them to practice in courts, Badal said that the Ordinance with regard to the enhanced limit of life insurance amount would be issued soon so that the benefit could reach them.
He has directed the Advocate General to complete the required formalities at the earliest. Besides this, the Chief Minister also announced to provide flats or allot suitable land for the Housing Societies construction of dwelling units for them in Mohali. The Chief Minister called upon the legal fraternity to play a proactive role in the society as judiciary, executive and legislature were the important organs of the state and had an obligation both to the Constitution and people to work in complete harmony.
Addressing the lawyers, Badal said that they could play a vital role in getting justice and protection of one’s fundamental rights because access to justice was a constitutional obligation. He also exhorted the legal fraternity, especially the younger lawyers, to discharge their duties with professional commitment, dedication and sincerity in the larger public interest.
He said that judiciary, legislature, members of the Bar, legal academia and scholars must be actively engaged in finding meaningful and widely acceptable solutions to the social challenges of our times.
The Chief Minister also said that the government has set up judicial complexes in the state at a cost of `220 crore. To protect the rights of the legal fraternity, the Punjab government has initiated Advocate Welfare Fund for which the state contributed one Crore as the Corpus Fund, he added.