Delhi Bar Association approaches CM, police to allow advocates to commute amid lockdown

Delhi Bar Association has approached Chief Minister and Delhi Police Commissioner to permit advocates to commute from their residence to offices after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs issued new guidelines for the extended lockdown.

The lawyers association, in a letter to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi Police Commissioner SN Srivastava on Wednesday, sought permission to allow advocates to commute from their residence to office while strictly following the prescribed norms of social distancing.

"Issue necessary and appropriate instructions to the police force and other concerned authorities under your command, to permit advocates to commute from their residences to offices/chambers on verification of their l-cards," the association said in the letter.

The association said that the office activities of advocates limited to their office/chambers can be carried on and continued, while strictly following the prescribed norms of social distancing.

"As such, the office/chamber activities of advocates are covered under the relaxed guidelines and the same ought to be permitted while observing social distancing norms," it added.

The lawyer's body said that the MHA has issued "relaxed guidelines" for containment of the spread of COVID-19 epidemic in the country, which specifically mentioned that to "mitigate hardship to the general public, select additional activities will be allowed from April 20".

It said that "additional activities will be operationalised" by States/UTs/district administrations based on compliance to the existing measures of social distances and "specific and categorical provision has been made, allowing the 'self-employed persons' such as electricians, IT repairs, plumbers, motor mechcs, carpenters, to carry on their activities".

"This list clearly is only illustrative and not exhaustive. The intention of the notification and relaxations is to permit all the self-employed persons to resume activities, provided the norms of Social Distancing are strictly followed," it said.

The coronavirus lockdown, which was earlier scheduled to end on April 14, was on Wednesday extended till May 3.

( With inputs from ANI )