Delhi High Court Approves Insurance Policy To Implement “CM Advocates Welfare Scheme”; 29077 Advocates Identified As Beneficiaries

Delhi High Court has finally approved the insurance policy as decided by the Delhi Government along with the assistance of the Bar Council of Delhi, to implement the “Chief Minister Advocates Welfare Scheme”. The Single Bench of Judge Prathiba M Singh heard the matter and gave her approval for the policy which was providing medical and life insurance to 29077 advocates residing in Delhi. 

Last year in December, the Delhi government had constituted the Committee headed by Senior Advocate Rakesh Kumar Khanna to propose a scheme as per which an annual budget of 50 crores sanctioned by the government for the welfare of advocates which can be utilized, and after having multiple life insurance companies and holding exhaustive negotiations and discussions, the Committee proposed the following schemes for the advocates- 

1. Group (Term) Insurance for practicing Advocates providing life cover of Rs. 10,00,000/- (Ten Lakhs) per advocate 
2. Group Medi-claim coverage for the advocates, their spouse, and two dependent children up to the age of 25 years for a family floater sum insured of Rs 5,00,000/- (five lakhs).
3. E-library with 10 computers with e-journals and web edition of the e-journal, along with printers in all the 6 districts
4. Creche facility for advocates and staff employees in each of the 6 district courts of Delhi. 

Insurance- the Committee also proposes to all the practicing advocates of Delhi that they will be given a Life Term Insurance of Rs 10,00,000/-.

The committee thus was of the view that the rate offered by the LIC was pretty modest and could be approved by the government. The Nodal agency for operating the said scheme shall be the Law Ministry of the government of NCT of Delhi and it may further negotiate the terms of the premium if it desires to do so. 

Medi-Claim Coverage- Every practicing lawyer registered in Delhi shall be given a medical coverage facility by providing them Group medical coverage through the Insurance Company. As per the policy which got its approval, top private insurance companies such as New India Insurance, Oriental Insurance and many more will be providing the medical coverage to the advocates. The premium of these policies will be borne by the Delhi Government. 

Apart from all these insurance benefits, the Life Insurance Corporation of India will be giving the life insurance to the beneficiary advocates on the rates as decided by the Court.