In a startling revelation which could put the cash-strapped Virbhadra Singh Government in dock, Advocate General of the State is being paid over Rs 23 lakh per month as compared to mere Rs 96,400 during previous Government.
Current Advocate General of the State is Shravan Dogra, who had pleaded for Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in the trial court in the infamous CD case due to which Singh had to resign from the Union Cabinet last year. The Chief Minister was acquitted in the CD case on December 24, a day before he was sworn in as Chief Minister of the State for the record sixth time, from the special court of judge Bl Soni, the judgment which was pronounced after the court timing were over.
Dogra had pleaded the case and has been now rewarded generously by the State Government. The current Advocate General office now has battery of lawyers assisting the Advocate General. Total of 24 additional and deputy advocate general are assisting Advocate General and are appointed on tenure basis. According to Government notification, the retainership for the advocate general is Rs 1.10 lakh, fees per case (in which advocate general will appear himself) is Rs 2,500, fees per case for connected cases (in which advocate general will appear himself) is Rs 2,400.
If Advocate General appears in Supreme Court or any High Court or Tribunals, outside the State he is being paid Rs 1.10 lakh per appearance, if he attends in conference outside State then he is paid Rs 50,000 and drafting charges
is Rs 25,000. The Advocate general is paid House Rent Allowance (HRA) of Rs 50,000 per month and travel and dearness allowance is upto Rs 2 lakh, telephone allowance Rs 10,000 per month apart from medical reimbursement which is equivalent to class-1 officer.
Out of the 24 assisting additional advocate general, 20 are from Shimla, two
from Kangra, one from Hamirpur and one from Mandi district. The fee structure for the advocate general is in sharp hike during the previous BJP Government which paid only Rs 80,000 as retainership fees.
The house rent allowance was Rs 10,000 per month, counsel fee for every working day of court is Rs 3,700 per day and the counsel fee for other working days for conference, consultation and other purpose was just Rs 2, 700. BJP MlA Ravinder Ravi who raised the matter in the House questioned the generosity of the Government and said that what was the parameter fixed to give such payments, perks and the need for huge battery of lawyers.
Ravi said that on an average if an advocate general pleads seven cases each day or nearly 200 cases in a month then he gets Rs 5 lakh for cases alone per month apart from other fixed perks and fees.
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said that lawyers representing the State Government are generally appointed on the ground they are practicing lawyers in the High Court, experience and neutrality in political affiliations.
Ravi said that if experience is criteria then one Parul Negi who passed llB in 2007 having experience of just five years has been appointed as deputy advocate general while one Tarun Pathak having 17 years experience has also been appointed as deputy advocate general.
“The criteria of appointment of lawyers and fees are far from the level of understanding and seems arbitrary,” said Ravi.