The Uttar Pradesh government is set to significantly increase the fees and monthly retainership of government advocates representing the state in various courts by up to 50 per cent.
The proposal, prepared by the Justice Department, is expected to get the formal nod during the state cabinet meeting on Wednesday, which will be chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
This decision comes as a major relief for government legal counsels, whose compensation has remained stagnant for years. The retainership and fees for district court advocates have not been revised since 2016, while those of the Advocate General have remained unchanged since 2012.
Key Proposed Revisions:
- District Government Counsel (DGC): Monthly retainership is set to rise from ₹9,000 to ₹14,000, while the per-hearing appearance fee is proposed to increase from ₹1,650 to ₹2,500.
- Additional District Government Counsel (ADGC): Monthly retainership will see an increase from ₹7,200 to ₹11,000, with the per-hearing fee rising from ₹1,500 to ₹2,300.
- Advocate General (AG): The top law officer’s monthly retainership is proposed to jump from ₹75,000 to ₹1.25 lakh. The fee for presenting arguments in court is set to increase from ₹40,000 to ₹60,000.
- Additional Advocate Generals (AAGs): A flat increase of approximately 50 per cent has been recommended for both their monthly retainership and appearance fees.
The proposal also includes an upward revision in the fees and retainership of advocates representing the state government in the Supreme Court.
Other Key Cabinet Proposals on the Agenda
Apart from the Justice Department’s proposal, the cabinet is expected to deliberate on more than 18 proposals across various departments.
A key non-legal agenda item includes the Food and Civil Supplies Department’s Maize Procurement Policy. Additionally, major proposals from several other departments—including Prisons, Irrigation, Excise, Namami Gange and Rural Water Supply, Health, Civil Defence, Agriculture, and Stamp & Registration—are also slated to table during the high-level meeting.
