Rs 76cr spent on advocates' fees for Cauvery, Krishna

RTI activist Bhimappa Gadad (centre) addressing a press conference in Belagavi on Saturday.
RTI activist Bhimappa Gadad (centre) addressing a press conference in Belagavi on Saturday.

BELAGAVI: THE state government has paid Rs 76.21 crore as fees to its advocates pleading the Cauvery and Krishna river water disputes. Information obtained through RTI Act by activist Bhimappa Gadad revealed that the government has paid Rs 76,21,23,772 for both the cases since the day of commencement of proceedings.
A total of Rs 36,52,07,674 was given to the lawyers in the Cauvery case since July 28, 1990 till August 17, 2016 and Rs 39,69,16,098 for Krishna river dispute since November 18, 2004 till July 31, 2016. The advocates have collectively attended courts on 508 occasions for the Cauvery issue and 306 sittings for the Krishna dispute.
Gadad told reporters here on Saturday that Delhi-based senior counsel Anil Diwan has been paid Rs 26,24,22,215, Fali S Nariman Rs 14,76,95,669, Sharat Javali Rs 9,40,82,637, Mohan Kataraki Rs 7,85,31,182 and junior advocates Brijesh Kalappa Rs 3,89,25,152, S P Singh Rs 2, 53,58,550, Ranveer Singh Rs 1,05,00,280, S P Sharma Rs 1,46,60,450, R S Papu Rs 1,30,09,766 and Basavaprabhu Rs 1,08,82,626. He added that the same legal team was paid Rs 9.80 crore for fighting the Mahadayi issue.
Gadad said that despite spending such a huge sum only as sitting fees, apart from other legal expenditure, the state has not got any benefit. The present and previous governments failed to provide necessary documents to the legal team, while very promptly paying their fees. Gadad also alleged that the lawyers also did not make efforts to get the required documents from the government to make the state’s case stronger.

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