The District Bar Association on Saturday observed a ‘No work day’ to protest against the government and Punjab State Power Corporation Limited on the issue of mishandling the power crisis in the state. The decision was unanimously taken during an executive committee meeting chaired by District Bar Association president Aditya Jain and secretary Rohit Gambhir.
Jain said court proceedings resumed on July 1 after the summer vacation, but advocates’ chambers in the judicial complex have since been plagued by frequent and prolonged power outages. He said lawyers were unable to work from their chambers due to power cuts lasting several hours, disrupting court-related work and causing considerable inconvenience to both advocates and litigants.
He further said advocates repeatedly tried to contact the officials and the complaint helpline of the electricity department, but either the phones were switched off, or no one answered the calls.
He added that as a result, the executive committee of the District Bar Association convened a meeting and unanimously decided to observe a ‘No Work Day’ today to draw the attention of the government and the PSPCL to this serious issue.
The DBA demanded that a regular and uninterrupted power supply be ensured immediately in the judicial complex so that lawyers and the public do not have to face any inconvenience. He warned that if the problem is not resolved promptly, the DBA would be compelled to launch a protest.
Present on the occasion were DBA secretary Rohit Gambhir, senior vice-president Ram Chhabra, joint secretary Sahil Malhotra, junior vice-president Suraj Pratap Singh and others.
In another development, Gambhir announced that lawyers across Punjab would remain on strike on Monday following a call by Bar Associations throughout the state. The strike will be held in support of the Bholath Bar Association and the Kapurthala Bar Association. Thereafter, from Tuesday onwards, an indefinite strike will begin against the Legal Aid Defence Counsel System in accordance with the decision of the Joint Action Committee, Punjab.
