Srinagar, June 28:
Nearly two weeks after sacking all public prosecutors and assistant public prosecutors, the Governor administration on Friday disengaged all standing counsels appearing on behalf of the state in subordinate courts.
The Law department terminated the standing counsels most of whom had been engaged in the three-and-a-half-year rule of the previous PDP-BJP government.
“Sanction is hereby accorded to the disengagement of all standing counsels engaged from time to time for contesting cases before subordinate courts within the state with immediate effect,” reads the order issued by Law Secretary Anchal Sethi.
The action came nearly 15 days after the State Administrative Council, the decision-making body in Governor Rule having powers similar to that of the cabinet, decided to fire all standing counsels.
A senior official in Law department, wishing not to be named, told Greater Kashmir that 500-600 lawyers were engaged as standing counsels by the PDP-BJP dispensation.
“Of them, 350-400 were presently engaged while the term of remaining had come to end,” the official said.
According to the order, the SAC in its meeting on June 13 has also decided to fix strength of standing counsels at 120.
While 40 each would be engaged for Jammu and Srinagar districts and two each would represent departments in subordinate courts, the order states.
Each standing counsel would be entitled to monthly remuneration of Rs 8000.
The department today also ordered creation of 20 positions of Assisting Counsels in the office Advocate General to assist the Law Officers.
The assistant counsels will be paid monthly remuneration of Rs 20,000.
Courtesy: Greater Kashmir
