Advocates boycott courts in East Godavari

Seek hike in death benefit, stipend for juniors

Seeking justice: Advocates staging a protest in Rajamahendravaram on Friday.

Advocates in East Godavari district on Friday boycotted courts protesting against the failure of the government in fulfilling its promise to do justice to them on different issues.

President of the Rajamahendravaram Bar Association Muppalla Subba Rao, who led the protest here, said that the state government had promised to take up welfare measures like increasing the death benefit from ₹3 lakh to ₹10 lakh and issuing health cards to all the advocates in the state. The government had agreed to give stipend to junior advocates on the lines of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala and increase the stipend for SC, ST and BC candidates ₹3,000. He demanded house sites for all advocates and immediate renewal of notaries.

Hunger strike

Srikakulam Staff Reporter adds:

Several women advocates on Friday staged a hunger strike at the Srikakulam Court Complex to step up pressure on the government to create a ₹100 crore welfare fund and payment of ₹10 lakh for the advocates who attained 60 years. Senior advocate J. Satyavani and others raised slogans against the government for the inordinate delay in creation of the welfare fund for lawyers which was promised during the 2014 elections.