CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court Bar Association (OHCBA) along with other Bars in Cuttack on Tuesday unanimously decided not to implement the notification issued by the Odisha State Bar Council on its Advocates' Welfare Corpus Fund stamp of Rs 100 value.
The decision was taken at the association's meeting in which representatives of Cuttack Bar Association, Criminal Courts Bar Association (Cuttack), Board of Revenue Bar Association (Cuttack) and MV Lawyers Bar Association (Cuttack).
The notification issued on June 8 had communicated to all affiliated Bar Associations to affix Odisha State Bar Council (OSBC) Advocates' Welfare Corpus Fund stamp of Rs 100 value on every Vakalatnama from June 18.
The meeting presided by OHCBA President Kali Prasanna Mishra unanimously passed a resolution not to affix Rs 100 corpus fund stamp in each Vakalatnama till a newly elected body is formed of OSBC.
"The interim committee of OSBC cannot take a policy decision. Besides, there is no reason/valid reason given in the notification for the purpose of collection of Rs 100 under the OSBC Advocates’ Welfare Corpus Fund stamp," the resolution said, while urging all the Bar Associations not to implement the notification. The OSBC is the apex statutory body for all the affiliated bar associations in the State.
The OSBC’s term had expired in May 2019. The Bar Council of India (BCI) first extended the term by six months and then on Nov 5, 2019 constituted a Special Committee.
With Advocate General who is the ex-officio member of OSBC as Chairman, senior advocate Manas Ranjan Mohapatra and advocate Ajay Kumar Baral (both as members), the committee has been managing the State Bar Council affairs since Nov 5, 2019.