“It was a promise made to our advocate brothers before the bar Council elections and we have kept the promise and it will be soon tabled in the Legislative Assembly and Council,” Shivakumar C, President, KSBC told Deccan Herald. 

“We have proposed an amendment to the Karnataka State Advocates Welfare Fund Act and Rules. Now the bill has to be passed after the new  government comes to power,” he added.

Awaiting approval

Shivakumar said that the advocates had demanded up to Rs 3 lakh, but the KSBC found that the amount can be increased to Rs 3.5 lakh. It is now awaiting final approval.” The death relief applies to every incident no matter whether the advocates die a natural death or are killed in an accident or even suicides,”  informed Shivakumar.

When questioned whether the bill will be approved by the government, he said that the fund was collected by the advocates and there was no question of the government denying it. “We do not get any aid from the government. It is the money collected from each vakalath that we file,” he explained.

Another long-pending long time demand of the advocates to provide medical benefits to the ailing advocates has also been approved. KSBC has decided to provide financial assistance up to Rs 50,000.

Any advocate who has enrolled himself as a Bar Council member can avail either of these benefits. The state has 65,000 practising advocates.