CM Advocates Welfare Scheme: Delhi High Court directs New India Assurance to issue e-cards to 29,077 advocates

The Delhi High Court today directed New India Assurance Company Limited (NIACL) to issue e-cards to all 29,077 advocates registered as beneficiaries under the Chief Minister’s Advocates Welfare Scheme (Bar Council of Delhi vs GNCTD, Govind Swaroop vs GNCTD)..A single-judge Bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh directed that NIACL shall obtain the list of 29,077 advocates from the Delhi government or Bar Council of Delhi. .The Court was informed that while 22,467 advocates have been duly verified by Delhi government and Bar Council of Delhi to avail the benefit of insurance scheme, verification of 6,610 was still left at the Delhi government's end. .Clarifying that the process of verification shall go on, the Court ordered that e-cards should nonetheless be issued to even the left-out 6,610 advocates. .The Court recorded that a representative of NIACL shall be stationed at the office of the Bar Council of Delhi to facilitate the verification process whenever claims are received. .Cashless treatment to such advocates shall continue subject to verification, it added..In its order, the Court also stated that post verification, these advocates shall be treated to be a part of the NIACL policy from the date of its inception. .Chairman of Bar Council of Delhi and Senior Advocate Ramesh Gupta today submitted that the government portal for registration of advocates should be directed to be re-opened for the inclusion of those who went back on account of the pandemic and for those who have their primary practice in Delhi..Whether the CM Scheme should extend to NCR-based advocates who are registered with the Bar Council of Delhi or not is being considered by the Court. .The Chief Minister’s Advocates Welfare Scheme was approved by the Delhi government earlier this year. The scheme provides several benefits to Delhi lawyers, including Group (Term) Insurance, Group Medi-Claim, e-library and creche for advocates in Delhi..While Group (term) life-insurance policies is being provided by Life Insurance Corporation of India to 28,774 lawyers NIACL was chosen was for group medi-claim insurance policies for 29,077 advocates..The matter would be heard next on March 4.