The Bar Council of Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim have decided to provide financial assistance to advocates are who affected by the Coronavirus Pandemic and consequent lockdown.
In a Press Release by Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury, Chairman of Bar Council of Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim said that Advocates have no social security. They are professionals and not salaried employees. Most of the Advocates are not financially sound and maintaining their livelihood by means of daily earnings.
In view of total lockdown throughout the country many Advocates have been rendered without work due to restricted functioning of the Court and consequently, they are facing extreme financial hardships.
The Bar Council of Assam etc in its meeting on April 23 had formulated a scheme in the name of “The Bar Council of Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim COVID-19 Financial Assistance Scheme”. Under this scheme, a lawyer enrolled with Bar Council of Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim who is really in need of Financial Assistance due to lockdown maybe provided financial assistance subject to condition among others that he is in active practice, he does not have any other source of income and should not have total savings of more than 30,000 Rupees as on 15.03.2020.
The applications must be in the prescribed format attached with the scheme available in website of the Bar Council viz. “https://www.barcouncilassametc.org/whats_new.php” and maybe sent to the Chairman of the Council in his official address either by way of e-mail “barcouncilofnecovid19aid@gmail.com” or in person or by speed post/ registered post/ courier. The applications must reach the office of the Bar Council of Assam etc. on or before 7th May, 2020.