Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 23: The State Government today ordered appointment of Advocate Jehangir Iqbal Ganaie as the new Advocate General of the State.
An official notification to this affect was issued today. Ganaie assumed office of the Advocate General today.
Earlier, Advocate Riyaz Jan, who was appointed as Advocate General on March 15 this year submitted his resignation to the Government.
Official sources said the Government today also ordered appointment of seven new Additional Advocate Generals, eight Deputy Advocate Generals and eight Government Advocates.
The Government has also ordered a massive hike in the remuneration for the Advocate General and the Government Advocates to ensure effective disposal of Government cases.
“The performance of the Government advocates would be regularly evaluated and those who fail to deliver will be shown the door,” sources said.
Three Advocates appointed as Additional Advocate Generals (AAGs) included Zainab Shamas Watali, Ehsan Mirza and Purshotam Chander Sharma. Three Advocates appointed as Deputy Advocate Generals were Faraz Iqbal, Rajeshwar Singh Durswal and Raman Sharma.
Four Advocates appointed as Government Advocates included Sanjeev Padha, Mohammad Nadeem Bhat, Shivangi Kant and Aarif Lateef Choudhary.
According to Government order, the remuneration of the Advocate General has been hiked from existing Rs 21000 per month to Rs 80000 per month. The AG shall be provided with furnished Government accommodation at Jammu and Srinagar and in case accommodation is not provided by the Government, he will be paid compensatory allowance of Rs 10000 per month.
In addition, the Advocate General shall be entitled to Rs 5000 for each contested writ petition, appeal, arbitration appeal, suit, civil appeal, which he conducts on behalf of the State before the High Court. Pertinently, the case fee earlier was Rs 3000 per case.
In the matters of Arbitration before the High Court, Advocate General shall be entitled to same fee as admissible in writ petitions. However, in exceptional/ special cases, he will be entitled to fee of Rs 5000 per day for effective hearing before arbitrator.
The Advocate General shall be paid Rs 2000 for filing of each objection, counter affidavits, appeals, compliances and CMPs before the High Court and Rs 5000 for Supreme Court. This fee was earlier Rs 1000 for High Court and Rs 2000 for Supreme Court.
The Advocate General shall be also entitled to medical reimbursements and traveling allowance as admissible to the High Court judges. He will also get sumptuary allowance of Rs 3000 per month, which was earlier Rs 250 per month.
Similarly, as per Order No: 1906-LD(A) of 2015 dated: 22-06-2015, the monthly retainership of the Additional Advocate General has been hiked from the existing Rs 14000 per month to Rs 50000 per month, of Deputy Advocate General from existing Rs 12000 to Rs 40,000 per month and of Government Advocate from existing Rs 7000 to Rs 30000 per month.
In addition, the Additional Advocate General would be entitled to counsel fee of Rs 5000 per case, Dy Advocate General to Rs 4500 per case and Government Advocate to Rs 4000 per case. The rate earlier was Rs 2700 per case for AAG, Rs 2700 per case for DAG and Rs 1800 per case for the Government Advocate.
They shall be also entitled to incidental charges of Rs 1000 per writ petition and Rs 1500 per LPA.
In another order (No: 1907-LD(A) of 2015 dated: 22-06-2015), the Government ordered major hike in the retainership and other allowances for Public Prosecutors and Additional Public Prosecutors.
Against the existing Rs 7500 per month, the PPs and APPs would now get Rs 20,000 per month.
The other perks for PPS and APPs include, Rs 1000 at the stage of framing of charges, Rs 2000 at the stage of conclusion of evidence and Rs 1000 at the time of delivery of judgment.
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