Hyderabad: All India Lawyers Union (AILU) Telangana State Committee organised a large protest at Indira Park in Hyderabad, demanding Advocate health cards for all registered lawyers and seeking stronger welfare measures for the legal fraternity.
More than 250 lawyers, law students and representatives of various bar associations from across Telangana attended the protest. Participants urged the State Government, the Advocates Welfare Trust and the Bar Council to introduce comprehensive welfare initiatives, especially for advocates enrolled after 2019.
Speakers stressed that Advocate health cards had become an urgent necessity. They said lawyers and their families required better medical protection and stronger social security support. They also called for immediate steps to address long-pending welfare issues affecting the legal community.
The protesters demanded the issuance of health cards to all registered advocates. They also sought regular updates of advocate records by removing deceased lawyers and adding newly enrolled members. In addition, they asked authorities to increase the medical insurance cover from ₹2 lakh to ₹10 lakh and extend benefits to family members.
Advocate health cards among key welfare demands
The gathering further demanded inclusion of all diseases under the insurance scheme and expansion of the network of empanelled hospitals. Moreover, speakers sought an additional allocation of ₹500 crore for the Advocates Welfare Trust. They also requested an annual grant of ₹10 crore to the Bar Council for advocate welfare programmes.
Bar Council members M. Srinivas Rao, Ch. Sailaja, K. Sujatha Pasham, Ashok Goud Ponnam, V. Raghunath, Kiran Kumar G, Anil Kumar and Mahesh Goud Akola attended the protest and expressed support for the demands.
Former Telangana High Court Advocates Association Secretary Advocate Khwaja Wazarat Ali and Advocate Barkat Ali Khan also addressed the gathering. They backed the welfare demands and urged the government, the Bar Council and the Advocates Welfare Trust to act without delay.
AILU Telangana president Koli Satyanarayana and general secretary K. Pradha Saradhi led the protest. Meanwhile, AILU student committee convener Ali Haider worked with Kranti, Mohammed Ameer and Ali Jan to mobilise law students and young advocates. Several presidents and secretaries of bar associations from different districts also participated and expressed solidarity with the movement.
Participants pledged to continue their campaign until authorities accepted and implemented the demands raised during the protest.
