Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today called upon the legal fraternity to play a pro-active role in the society as judiciary, the executive and the legislature were the important organs of the state and have an obligation both to our Constitution and to people to work in complete harmony.
Addressing the lawyers of Punjab & Haryana High Court during the inaugural function of the extension of Bar library organized by the Punjab & Haryana Bar Association here at High Court complex, the Chief Minister said that each one of these organs had their Constitutional assigned role and these must be discharged in the right earnest. He said each organ must respect the roles and functions of the other and power accorded to each organ must be exercised cautiously. Mr. Badal further said that our judiciary, legislature, members of the bar, legal academia and scholars must therefore, be actively engaged in finding a meaningful and widely acceptable solutions to the social challenges of our times.
The Chief Minister said lawyers could play a vital role in getting justice and protection of one’s fundamental rights because access to justice was the Constitutional obligation. He also exhorted the legal fraternity especially the younger ones to discharge their duties with utmost professional commitment, dedication and sincerity in the larger public interest. Mr. Badal appreciated Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court Justice Mr. Sanjay Krishan Kaul for initiating special efforts for curtailing the pendency of cases in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in order to ensure quick dispensation of Justice to the litigants. Reiterating that it was an endeavour of the state government to provide congenial atmosphere to the judiciary and lawyers to discharge their duties efficiently, he assured the Chief Justice that the state government would provide all financial assistance and cooperation for the construction of judicial complexes and lawyers’ chambers in the state besides the recruitment of Judicial officers.
Badal also impressed upon the Chief Justice to take up the matter of the release of pending matching grants by the Government of India (GoI) with the concerned quarters. The Chief Minister mentioned that on the demand of Bar association the state government had already created a Advocate Welfare Fund to safeguard the interests of legal fraternity. On the occasion, the chief Minister also announced a grant of Rs 1 crore to the Bar Association. Addressing on the occasion Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court Justice Mr. Sanjay Krishan Kaul lauded the Chief Minister for showing special concern for the welfare of the Judiciary. In his address Advocate General, Punjab Mr. Ashok Aggarwal strongly pleaded the case of Bar Association and urged Mr. Badal to consider their demand of housing sympathetically.
Speaking on the occasion, President Punjab & Haryana Bar Association Dr. Anmol Rattan Sidhu felicitated Mr. Badal for his magnanimity and passion for the welfare legal fraternity. He mentioned Mr. Badal was a true visionary and was sensitized to the problems of common man because he was the leader of the masses. Dr. Sidhu also pointed out that Mr. Badal’s popularity as a mass leader was evident from the fact that he has adored the seat of Chief Minister of Punjab for the record fifth term. The function was attended by the Hon’ble Judges of the Punjab & Haryana High Court, former Judges, members of the Punjab & Haryana High Court Bar Association & bar council and lawyers besides Advocate General of Haryana Mr. Hawa Singh Hooda and eminent businessman and philanthropist Mr. SP Singh Oberoi.