TN grants monthly stipend of ₹3,000 to young advocates

Shanmughasundaram.J@timesgroup.com

Chennai:21.03.2020

Soon, young advocates in the state would receive a monthly stipend of ₹3,000 for a period of two years. It was a long pending demand of the legal fraternity. Making the announcement in the state assembly on Friday, minister for law, courts and prisons C Ve Shanmugam said the government would also enhance the advocates’ clerks welfare fund from ₹2 lakh to ₹4 lakh.

The government would procure 60 Apple i-pads Pro along with cover and stylus for use by judges of Madras high court and its Madurai bench at a cost of ₹80.93 lakh.

"Additional classrooms will be constructed in government law colleges in Trichy and Chengalpet at a cost of ₹11.71 crore," he said. The government law colleges in Vellore and Ramnad districts would offer postgraduate courses from the coming academic year and ₹50 lakh would be allocated for it.

Besides, the government would take up the conservation and restoration of heritage buildings at the district munsif-cum-judicial magistrate court at Vandavasi in Tiruvannamalai district and district munsif court in Coimbatore, which is famously known as Kuthira Vandi (horse cart) court, at a cost of ₹10 crore.

Digital signage display system would be installed in 260 court complexes (each two) in the state at a cost of ₹10.26 crore, said the minister. The government would constitute 14 additional courts in various districts, he announced. The government has been improving the infrastructure and appointing judges and public prosecutors after getting the draft notification from the HC to bring down pendency of cases.

Earlier, MLA C V M P Ezhilarasaon of DMK said the government should extend the working hours of the judiciary to bring down pendency of cases.