The Delhi High Court sought today the Centre and AAP government's stand on a PIL by an association representing lawyers' clerks who have alleged that there were no social security or welfare measures in place for them.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar issued notice to the Centre, the Delhi government, the Bar Council of Delhi and the Registry of the High Court seeking their reply to the plea which has sought enforcement of several welfare measures like providing for provident fund, pensions and group insurance policies.
The court directed the authorities to indicate their response on affidavit before the next date of hearing on September 13.
The plea was filed by the Delhi High Court Bar Clerks Association which has claimed that several states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Odisha and Himachal Pradesh have already enacted law to promote welfare of the clerks who have to depend on charity and donation of the advocates employing them.
The association, which represents over 20,000 lawyers' clerks working in the various courts in the national capital, has contended that its members have been deprived of their fundamental rights, including right to medical benefits to a workman.
In the plea, filed through advocate Vishal Singh, the association has said that with courts moving towards use of technology and changes being made in the rules regulating judicial work, clerks need to be trained to be able to keep pace with the changing system.
It has sought establishing of a permanent clerk training system to upgrade their knowledge and skills so that they are empowered to deal with the mechanisms of e-filing and computer-based records.
In its petition, the association has urged the court to direct the authorities to promote, safeguard and implement the clerks fundamental rights to social security and welfare measures.
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