Rajamudhry: In a major achievement for advocates who have been demanding the fulfilment of several poll promises, the state government has issued a government order sanctioning a matching grant of Rs 4 lakh each to the nominee or dependent of deceased advocates in the state on Tuesday.
G.O. Ms. No. 4 mentioned that the AP Bar Council had resolved to enhance the death benefit of advocates to Rs 4 lakh each from the present Rs 3 lakh to be given to their nominees or dependents from the Advocates Welfare Fund for advocates who expired on or after January 1, 2018. The AP Bar Council had also recommended to the state government to provide matching grants to the death benefit being provided from the Advocates Welfare Fund.
Accordingly, the state government issued the order and stated that the nominee or dependent of a deceased advocate would need to submit an application form in a prescribed format to claim the death benefit within six months of the death of the advocate along with the death certificate and a recommendation from the concerned Bar Association. The Advocates Welfare Committee would dispose of such an application within five months of the receipt.
The state government will provide the death benefit of Rs 4 lakh each to the nominee or respondent of the deceased advocate in addition to the same amount sanctioned by the Advocates Welfare Committee to be paid to the nominee or respondent of the deceased advocate. In total, the nominee or respondent of the deceased advocate would get Rs 8 lakh as death benefit.
AP advocates welcomed the state government’s decision to provide matching grant of Rs 4 lakh each as death benefit to the kin of the deceased advocates and expressed their gratitude for it. They also appealed to the government to fulfil other promises like sanction of health cards, house sites, monthly stipend of Rs 5,000 to junior advocates and other benefits.
AP Bar Council member Muppala Subba Rao said, “We are very thankful to the state government for issuing an order sanctioning a matching grant of Rs 4 lakh each as death benefit to the kin of deceased advocates in the state. We request Chief Minister Naidu to fulfil other poll promises also in an expeditious manner.”
