All departments to clear pending bills of govt lawyers by May 31

The Delhi government has directed all departments to clear the pending bills of lawyers associated with the government as counsels and panel advocates by May 31.

The Delhi government has directed all departments to clear the pending bills of lawyers associated with the government as counsels and panel advocates by May 31.

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The revenue, law and justice department of the government issued an order in this regard last week to all departments. The order, which HT has seen, has a note attached by Delhi’s law minister who had asked the departments last month to clear all dues.

The minister’s note said, “Due to the novel coronavirus and the consequent lockdown resulting in non-functioning of the Delhi High Court many counsels, including panel counsels, are facing acute financial hassles. They need to pay salary to their staff. It is, therefore, essential that their pending bills are cleared at the earliest. [sic]”

A senior government official confirmed that the bills are to be paid by May 31.

Delhi has one senior standing counsel (civil), one standing counsel (civil), eight additional standing counsels (civil), one standing counsel (criminal), eight additional standing counsel (criminal), 77 panel advocates for High Court, 47 penal advocates for district courts and city courts, eight panel advocates for central administrative tribunal and nine panel advocates for the VAT appellate tribunal, government records showed.