Doon Lawyers continue strike seeking space for chambers
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 18 Nov: The strike by advocates in Dehradun entered its eighth day today, as the lawyers continued their protest demanding the construction of chambers on the vacant land of the old District Court premises. As a result of their strike, the proceedings in various courts in Dehradun district remained suspended for the entire day today. The Bar Association has reiterated that normal work would resume only after concrete assurances from the administration.
It may also be recalled that a delegation of lawyers had met Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday, following which the CM had directed the District Magistrate of Dehradun, Savin Bansal, to hear their demands. Acting on these instructions, the District Magistrate and SSP Dehradun Ajai Singh had reached the protest site yesterday and held discussions with the agitating advocates. The DM had requested the lawyers to constitute a 15-member committee to provide suggestions on the proposed chamber construction and other related issues. He had also assured the lawyers that these recommendations would be forwarded to the government without delay. He also assured the lawyers that they would not be displaced from their existing chambers for the time being.
The DM had further said that any allocation of additional land for chambers would be undertaken through a time-bound process and sought the Bar’s inputs on how the administration could assist in meeting their requirements. In response, the Bar Association decided to constitute a Committee to continue the agitation and to present its suggestions formally. A delegation of advocates is expected to meet the District Magistrate again this evening, after which the Bar will hold another internal meeting to take a final call. Until a satisfactory assurance is received, the strike will continue.
Joint Secretary of the Bar Association, Kapil Arora stated that the lawyers had been compelled to strike as their longstanding demand for land to construct chambers, both in the old District Court complex and the new court campus, remained unaddressed. He criticised the government for what he described as complete neglect of advocates’ welfare, stating that the justice system could not function without the lawyers. He added that the administration, during yesterday’s meeting, had assured them that their concerns would be addressed as part of a forthcoming Court Policy. A 15-member committee has now been formed to place the Bar’s case before the District Magistrate, and the continuation or withdrawal of the protest will depend entirely on the assurance received from the administration.
