Telangana: Starving junior advocates angry over laughable financial assistance

With the continuation of lockdown, which is extended till May 17, has hit hard legal practitioners, especially the junior advocates, whose income depends on the functioning of courts. Though the virtual courts are functioning, very few cases are being taken up, only on the basis of extreme urgency. There is no regular filing of matters and no listing of hearing cases in the courts. This has left a vast majority of lawyers bereft of work, resulting in a massive struggle to make ends meet.

While many are just about managing to keep their heads above water, a large number of those practicing in lower courts are unsure of how they will get through this lockdown period, which has been extended till May 17.

The Bar Council of Telangana, noticing the concern during this lockdown, decided to help the needy junior advocates and called for applications for financial assistance. The Bar Council received around 6,000 applications but has finalised a list of 3,454 beneficiaries. Earlier, the Bar Council of Telangana decided to give around Rs.5000 to each of the applicants but later on the Bar Council members unanimously decided to grant only Rs.3500 per each applicant. The list of beneficiaries has been placed on the website of the Bar Council.

Here, The Bar Council of Telangana has to face the ire of needy junior advocates for granting a mere amount of Rs3,500 only. The Jr. advocates, who were expecting the financial assistance, were disappointed with the decision of granting only a meager amount of Rs 3500. Through social media and other sources, the needy junior advocates are expressing their disappointment over the meager financial assistance saying, in this hard time, been rendered with no legal practice since the lockdown began on March 25, what is the use of all the Hungama at the time of need, which they do not support.

The needy junior advocates demand the Bar Council of Telangana to reconsider the extension of financial assistance with a decent amount, with minimal preconditions. They have demand the Bar Council to increase the financial assistance to Rs 10,000 to each junior advocate. It's not charity that anyone is doing, its service to our own community by its own members, they said.

In spite of several requests, representations, demands and protests made by the advocates but the Telangana Bar Council yielded no response. What is the use of those welfare funds when they are of no use at this crisis moment, they added.

The needy advocates appealed to the State government and the Bar Council of Telangana to extend the financial assistance to the needy junior advocates with a decent amount to cope up the crucial lockdown period.