Lawyers of Delhi High Court and lower courts in the Capital are set to get suitable financial assistance in their hour of need from the Advocates’ Welfare Fund, with the High Court directing the Delhi government last week to step in and frame proper rules for functioning of the fund. Clarity of guidelines in this respect will help ill and indigent advocates get timely monetary support.
A report submitted to the Bench of Justice Rajiv Shakdher of the High Court has revealed that the fund’s trustee committee has been operating without a chairman since October 2014, while the officers nominated as members have not attended any of its meetings. The trustee committee, which administers the fund, is headed by the Advocate-General of the State.
With the fund virtually operating without any control, several instances of irregularities in payments made to lawyers have been reported during the past few years. Some advocates were allegedly paid amounts higher than their medical bills, while others received very small amounts as reimbursement.
About two dozen teachers, who have been selected by the civic bodies for primary schools, marched into the offices of the civic bodies this past week to demand that they be given appointment letters.
The recruitment was conducted by the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB), after which the teachers’ dossiers were handed over to the three corporations. The civic bodies then started the verification process and began giving appointment letters to teachers whose documents checked out.
Groups of agitated teachers, however, barged into the offices of the Commissioners of North and South civic bodies, alleging that the posts were being “sold”.
“We have qualified and passed all requirements but are not being appointed, as zonal offices are asking for bribes to give us postings,” said one of the teachers.
An official in the South Delhi Municipal Corporation told the group of teachers that if the posts existed at the zonal level, they will be appointed. However, that didn’t pacify the teachers, who stormed off in anger.
Intrigue over the India-Pakistan National Security Advisor-level (NSA) talks due to insistence of separatist leaders to be a part of the proceedings left Intelligence and police officials fuming on Saturday.
Leaves were cancelled as back-to-back meetings, that took place to plan pre-emptive detentions of leaders representing separatist outfits across the country, were held at North Block beginning late on Friday night. “We were asked to report for work early in the day and ended up in office till midnight for more meetings,” said an IB official.
Meanwhile, even Delhi Police headquarters became a part of frenetic activity, necessitating cancellation of leave of several police officers on Saturday. Separatist leaders and sympathisers, according to directions, were put under detention in both New Delhi and Kashmir. Pakistan’s decision to call off the talks, however, ended up adding to the ire of officials from both establishments on Sunday.
“In the end, all our efforts came to a naught because the talks, which were so crucial just hours before and required over a day’s procedures, were cancelled,” said a senior police officer.
