Delhi Bar Council extends helping hand to Covid-impacted members

Delhi Bar Council extends helping hand to Covid-impacted members

Delhi being the national capital has maximum lawyers compared to any other Indian city. The Council has so far distributed close to ₹3.5 crore to about 2,500 needy lawyers

The Bar Council of Delhi has extended its helping hand for the needy capital-based lawyers impacted by the dreaded Coronavirus.

The Bar Council team, led by its Chairman Ramesh Gupta along with his team, has so far reached out to approximately 2,500 lawyers rendered helps to them in various forms that total to about ₹3.5 crore worth of help.

The Council became concerned and got active ever since the second wave of Covid hit the country. Like other industries, the legal fraternity also became victims of the deadly virus witnessing serious health issues and fatalities associated with it. Delhi being the national capital and housing several courts has the highest number of advocates compared to any other Bar Council in India. The impact, thus, was also higher in Delhi than in any other Indian town or city.

The Bar council of Delhi moved fast and set up the war room which has been instrumental in the Covid relief measures. The nodal officer appointed by the state government has so far provided ample support for smooth hospitalization of lawyers and their immediate relatives.

The Council has been supporting the needy members and their immediate family with quality treatment through its Covid Fund. The details of various help rendered by the Council so far are:

• Lawyer under home quarantine – ₹15,000 (To date, 2,287 lawyers have already benefited)

• Lawyer under Hospitalization, who are not covered under insurance – ₹50,000 (To date, 33 lawyers have already benefited)

• The facility of 110 oxygen cylinder in circulation (home delivery and refilling facility)

• Distribution of free grocery kits to needy and under home quarantine lawyers and their immediate family. (To date, 2,000 grocery kits have already distributed worth ₹40,00,000

To date, 2,320 enrolled lawyers and their immediate family has already been benefited, and an amount of ₹3,59,55,000 has already been spent towards the cause.

"As we know how severe the 2nd wave of the pandemic has been for all and the same goes for our legal fraternity as well. Many of our members are unable to get the medical help they need because of financial problems, and hence in these challenging times, if we don't come forward, who else will. That is why we have been standing by with our brothers and sisters who need our support during this crisis. We are happy and humbled to have touched upon so many lives, and we will not stop until this pandemic is over," Manoj K Singh, Chairman, Executive Committee & Spokesperson, Bar Council of Delhi, said,

The Bar Council of Delhi is contemplating launching a crowdfunding initiative where every fraternity member can come forward and contribute towards this cause so that the Covid relief continues unhindered until the situation becomes normal.