Chennai: Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said the government will increase the welfare fund awarded to the advocate from Rs 5.25 lakh to Rs 7 lakh. Delivering a special address in the 125th anniversary celebrations of Madras High Court heritage building on Saturday, he said on request from advocates former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa increased the welfare fund amount from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5.25 lakh. Now, the amount has been increased to Rs 7 lakh and the government has also not fixed any service limit for obtaining the amount.
Palaniswami said the government accords priority to setting up of infrastructural facilities in courts and allotted required fund. Minister for law and courts and prison C. Ve. Shanmugam said the government has been taking steps to protect the heritage buildings and form a special zone for the task.
Madras high court Chief Justice Indira Banerjee, judges, Supreme Court, Justices R. K. Agarwal, R. Banumathi and Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Attorney General K.K. Venugopal, and Advocate General Vijay Narayan spoke on the occasion. Several ministers, MPs and retired judges, advocates and court staff took part in the programme.
Artiste from the oldest English theatre group in the country, The Madras Players, performed a re-enactment of July 12, 1892, the formation of the court. The play attracted the attention of the participants.
