Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday gave away financial assistance to the families of the advocates who were members of the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry and are no more now.
In all, Rs 3.46 crore has been allocated for 66 advocates who are no more. Of them, legal heirs of seven advocates received cheques for Rs 5.25 lakh each from the Chief Minister in person at the Secretariat and thanked her for the gesture.
According to the Tamil Nadu Advocates Welfare Fund Act, 1987, financial assistance is being given to the family members of the advocates on their demise. Since 2001, Rs 2 lakh was given as assistance and the Bar Council had requested the Chief Minister to enhance the assistance.
Considering the demand, the Chief Minister, while speaking at the Sesquicentennial celebrations of the Madras High Court, announced that the assistance would be hiked from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5.25 lakh.
Besides, to ensure the uninterrupted disbursal of this assistance, she announced a grant of Rs 4 crore to the TN Advocates Welfare Fund. She also announced that assistance will be provided to families of all advocates who are members of the Bar Council.