SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, March 30: The State Bar Council and the Dhanbad Bar Association are on collision course over calling the annual general meeting (AGM) of the district association.
The State Bar Council has issued notice for calling the AGM of the Dhanbad Bar Association on April 1 while the district Bar Association has called the meeting on April 11.
The tenure of the present Bar Association office–bearer ends on March 26. The district Bar Association has shot off a letter to the State Bar Council for sending an observer and auditor for April 11 AGM.
But a member of the State Bar Council said that the AGM of Dhanbad Bar would be held positively on April 11 and not on April 1 fixed by the outgoing committee of the district.
Notably, confusion prevailed among the members of the Bar Association on March 27 evening when a letter from the State Bar Council was circulated in the media that the AGM of the Dhanbad Bar Association would be held on April 1 at 1.30 PM.
Surprised by the State Bar Council notice, Dhanbad Bar Association president Amrendra Kumar Sahay, vice-president Rajdev Bharti and general secretary Jitendra Kumar challenged the Council and said that as per the constitution, only the district body can call the AGM.
“ Someone is creating confusion among members in the name of the Bar Council. Tenure of the present committee concluded on March 26. The committee had requested the Bar Council to send an auditor/ observer. But till date the Council has not sent him. So, we have informed the Council that the AGM would be held on April 11,” said Bar president Amrendra Kumar Sahay.
A member of the Bar Association alleged that the Council member and former president Radheyshyam Goswamy had circulated the letter.
Bar Council member of Dhanbad, Radheyshyam Goswamy when contacted today denied that he had circulated the letter. Goswamy and Prayag Mahto are two members of the Council from Dhanbad.
However, the former president of the Bar Association, Goswamy when asked, replied that the Council has, of course, no authority to call meetings but it has the power to issue directives to the district body and the State Council has exercised that power.
Sources said that the State Council sent two letters, the first on February 19 and the second letter on March 23 asking the district Bar Association to send voters list and names of the election committee. When the Bar Association did not comply, the Council fixed April 1 for the meeting as the term of the new committee had already been completed.
A senior advocate said that 135 members had also requested the Council to fix a date for the AGM.
