H C SHIVARAMU Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) COVID-19 has adversely affected all the sections of the society. This Court is dealing with a public interest litigation where the issue is about supply of food and necessities of life to migrant workers, people on the streets, marginalized sections of the society like daily wage workers who are completely deprived of their income, trans-genders, sex workers, etc. The petition is pending and we have issued various directions from time to time.

(2.) By way of these two writ petitions, now we are dealing with another category of citizens who are claiming to be affected by COVID-19. The said category is of members of the legal profession.

(3.) It is pointed out that as a result of the initial closure of the Courts and subsequent partial resumption of the Court work, the members of the legal fraternity are not getting income. W.P. No.6695 of 2020 is filed by a member of the Bar where the first prayer is to direct the fifth respondent-Bar Council of India Advocates Welfare Fund Committee (for short, "BCI Welfare Fund") to provide ex-gratia payment to the tune of Rs.50,000/- (rupees fifty thousand only) to each member/advocate on the roll of Karnataka State Bar Council (for short, "KSBC) who are facing financial hardship, except the advocates who have enrolled after the age of 40 years. The second prayer is to direct the State Government as well as the Central Government to immediately release sufficient fund of Rs.50,00,00,000/- (rupees fifty crores only) to KSBC to enable it to provide financial assistance to the advocates who are members of the Welfare Fund, at the earliest, since the total number of advocates is over 70,000. The next prayer is to direct KSBC to release a sum of Rs.10,00,00,000/- (rupees ten crores only) out of BCI Welfare Fund and Bar Council of India Trust. The last prayer is to direct the fifth respondent to release a sum of Rs.25,00,00,000/- (rupees twenty five crores only) out of Karnataka State Advocates Welfare Fund immediately.