Date:26/02/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/02/26/stories/2006022604421200.htm

National

Bar Council plea to Chidambaram

Staff Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Bar Council of India Chairperson Jaganath Patnaik on Saturday, submitted a memorandum to Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, asking him not to introduce service tax on the legal profession. In his representation, Mr. Patnaik said that according to newspaper reports, Mr. Chidambaram was planning to propose a service tax on lawyers.

Mr. Patnaik said lawyers should not be brought within the ambit of service tax as barring few privileged lawyers in the High Courts and Supreme Court, the average lot of lawyers in the country was miserable. In his appeal, Mr. Patnaik pointed out that the legal profession was service-oriented and stood for the vindication of the rights of common people and disadvantaged sections.