Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Credit: DH Photo/S K Dinesh
Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that the state government would soon increase welfare fund for advocates in Karnataka.
He was speaking at the annual day of the Advocates’ Association Bangalore at the City Civil Court here. The association felicitated him for implementing the Karnataka Prohibition of Violence Against Advocates Act and urged him to increase the advocates’ welfare fund from Rs 8 lakh to Rs 25 lakh.
Responding to this, the chief minister said that the fund would be increased but did not promise Rs 25 lakh.
Siddaramaiah further stated that he had implemented the Karnataka Prohibition of Violence Against Advocates Act after realising its importance in protecting the lawyers.
“I was also once a lawyer. It is the duty of lawyers to not only read the Constitution of India but also understand the deeper purpose of having it. When we ensure that the lawyers of Karnataka are protected, the lawyers must ensure that they protect the people and the country in return,” he added.
Vivek Subba Reddy, senior advocate and president of Advocates’ Association Bangalore, urged the chief minister to also increase stipends for junior advocates. To this, Siddaramaiah responded that the request would be considered and implemented soon.
The chief minister also felicitated Subba Reddy, senior advocate and eight-time president of the AAB, on this occasion.