Promised cuts in court fees fail to end WB deadlock

Despite the reported cuts in the hike of court fees in the West Bengal Court-Fees (Amendment) Bill, the state government move seems to have failed to take away the mood of belligerence among the Bar Council members. The Bill is slated to be tabled in the Assembly on the coming Thursday.

At a meeting of West Bengal Bar Council this afternoon, there was a unanimous dissent over the revised Bill, which, speakers claimed, ‘‘neither paid heed to the Bar Council’s suggestions nor introduced cuts to the satisfaction of the Council.’’

The lawyers marched to the Assembly and demonstrated at its south gate. They shouted slogans demanding resignation of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and Law Minister Nishith Adhikary. Later, a five-member delegation, led by Council chairman Amiya Kumar Chatterjee met Speaker Hasim Abdul Halim to discuss the issue with him.