CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister  Parkash Singh Badal Thursday called upon the legal fraternity to play a pro-active role in the society as judiciary, the executive and the legislature are the important organs of the state and have an obligation both to our Constitution and to our people to work in harmony.

Presiding over an open interaction with the lawyers of Punjab & Haryana High Court organized by the Punjab & Haryana Bar Association here at High Court complex . Badal said that each one of these organs had their Constitutional assigned role and these must be discharged in the right earnest. He said each organ must respect the roles and functions of the other and power accorded to each organ must be exercised cautiously.

The Chief Minister further said that our judiciary, legislature, members of the bar, legal academia and scholars must therefore, be actively engaged in finding meaningful and widely acceptable solutions to the social challenges of our times. He said lawyers could play a vital role in getting justice and protection of one's fundamental rights because access to justice was the Constitutional obligation. He also exhorted the legal fraternity to discharge their duties with professional commitment, dedication and sincerity in the larger public interest.

Badal appreciated Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court Justice Mr. Vijender Jain with the participation of his fellow judges for initiating special efforts for creating awareness amongst the people of Punjab against the social malady of female foeticide and drug addiction in the state in addition to his duties. He assured the Chief Justice that the state government would provide all financial assistance and cooperation for the construction of judicial complexes and lawyers' chambers in the state. He reiterated that it was an endeavour of the state government to provide congenial atmosphere to the judiciary and lawyers to discharge their duties efficiently. He
also commended the Chief Justice for pioneering the concept of mobile courts by launching from Haryana and urged the Chief Justice to launch the mobile courts in Punjab too.

Responding to the demands raised by the President Punjab & Haryana High Court Bar Association Dr. Anmol Rattan Sidhu, the Chief Minister announced to contribute Rs.3 crore in three equal annual installments as Punjab's share towards the corpus of Rs.5 crore set up by the Bar
Association for the welfare of lawyers, besides Rs.50 lac for the modernization and renovation of the Bar room. He also mentioned that the credit goes to SAD government which legislated Advocate Welfare Act during its last regime.

Addressing on the occasion Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court Justice Mr. Vijender Jain lauded the Chief Minister for showing special concern for the welfare of the Judiciary. He thanked Mr. Badal for releasing requisite grant for the construction of judicial complexes and lawyers' chamber in the state.

In his address Advocate General, Punjab Mr. H.S. Mattewal hoped that this interaction would act as a healthy platform and go a long way to strengthen the bonds of judiciary, legislature and executive. He strongly pleaded the case of Bar Association and urged Mr. Badal to direct PUDA to allot land for the self financing housing co-operative society for the young advocates. Speaking on the occasion, President Punjab & Haryana Bar Association Dr. Anmol Rattan Sidhu welcomed Mr. Badal for his maiden interaction with lawyers at High Court complex during his fourth term as Chief Minister and assured of fulsome support and cooperation to the state government on behalf of the legal fraternity.

In his address, senior advocate and member of Punjab & Haryana Bar Association Mr. Hira Lal Sibal said that Badal and prosperity of Punjab were synonymous. He mentioned Mr. Badal was a true visionary and was sensitized to the problems of common man because he was the leader of the masses. He also pointed out that his proximity to the people in rural areas was evident from the fact that he knows many persons from thousands of villages by their first name.

The function was attended by the Hon'ble Judges of the Punjab & Haryana High Court, former Judges, members of the Punjab & Haryana High Court Bar Association & bar council and lawyers.