New Delhi:
The proceedings in six district courts in New Delhi were today affected by the day-long strike called by lawyers to protest against the hike in court fees in Delhi.
The lawyers abstained from work in all the six district courts of Patiala House, Tis Hazari, Karkardooma, Rohini, Saket and Dwarka, saying the Delhi government has notified the Court Fee (Amendment) Act due to which the common people will have to suffer as court fee has been increased by ten times.
The Delhi government had recently decided to increase the court fees ten-fold to shore up its coffers by around Rs 450 crore annually.
Rajiv Jai, Chairman of the Co-ordination Council of All Bar Associations and President of New Delhi Bar Association, said that the strike is successful as the lawyers are not appearing in the court proceedings.
"We (lawyers) are observing a day-long strike in all the six district courts here. The strike is successful today and we will start hunger strike from tomorrow onwards at Patiala House Court Complex so that the notification for the increase in the court fees may be rolled back," he said.
Nitin Ahlawat, secretary of Delhi Bar Association, said no work was being done at Tis Hazari courts due to the strike.
Similarly, president of the Shahdara Bar Association R K Jain said that the strike is successful at Karkardooma courts.
The bar leaders of Saket and Dwarka district courts also said that lawyers are not appearing in any case.
The lawyers said that the government should roll back its decision to hike the court fee as it would increase the burden on common litigants.
The strike also affected the hearing in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case at Patiala House court and the proceeding was adjourned due to the boycott of work by the lawyers.
The government has decided to hike the court fee and Delhi Revenue Minister A K Walia had earlier said that court fees in the city were last hiked in 1958 by the Punjab government which were extended to Delhi and the same have continued till date in the national capital.