Tamil Nadu CM orders Rs 3,000 stipend for junior lawyers

Tamil Nadu chief minister K Palaniswami on Thursday announced a monthly stipend of Rs 3,000 to newly enrolled junior lawyers for two years to help them overcome financial difficulties in pursuit of their profession.

The announcement fulfills a long pending demand of the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Expressing concern over the plight of the newly enrolled junior lawyers, Palaniswami said many young advocates could not realise their ambition due to lack of income during their initial years of practise.

"Several young graduates, mostly with rural or poor background, find it difficult to sustain and as a result, they change profession for a regular income," he said.

Hence, he has ordered payment of Rs 3,000 per month for a period of two years to the junior lawyers in order to ensure they pursued their dream career, Palaniswami said.

In a release here, he recalled that late chief minister M G Ramachandran first launched a welfare initiative for the advocates as far back as in 1987, providing financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh to the families of lawyers in the event of their death.

"In 2012, Amma (late CM J Jayalalithaa) enhanced the sum to Rs 5.25 lakhs. On January 30, 2018, I had ordered increasing the sum further to Rs 7 lakh," Palaniswami added.