Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 19: Reiterating that the aim of the Law Department is to provide support to all Government departments or organisations in legal matters, Minister for Law, Justice, Parliamentary Affairs and Relief & Rehabilitation, Syed Basharat Bukhari today said that no organisation including the Public Sector Undertakings (PSU) should appoint Standing Counsels without the consent of the Law Department.
The Minister said this while chairing a meeting to review the litigation work of the Public Sector Organisations, here today.
Highlighting the need to maintain the sanctity of the legal system across the departments, the Minister said that the Law Department should be the reference point for all legal matters, adding that all organisations or PSUs should avoid seeking any legal opinion from outside the department.
The Minister said that all efforts are being made to streamline the system so that the legal defence mechanism of the Government is made stronger and service delivery made better, so that ultimate purpose of safeguarding the interest of the State is meted out, and the people in general do not suffer.
The Minister said that the issue of increasing the remuneration of standing counsels is under consideration of the Government, adding that standing counsels appointed by the PSUs should be paid in accordance with the terms and conditions fixed by the Law Department.
Bukhari also sought details regarding standing counsels appointed by the PSUs and the cases defended by them in the last two years, and asked the concerned to submit a report on the same within a week.
MD SIDCO, MD J&K Housing Board, MD JKHDC, Secretary Law , MD SICOP, MD JK Industries, MD Wool Board, Commissioner SMC, besides representatives from Srinagar Development Authority, J&K Cements Ltd, Handicrafts, J&K TDC, J&K Minerals, Handloom, J&K SRTC, J&K SC, ST, OBC Dev Corp. and others officers attended the meeting.
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