BCI Launches Relief Scheme 2025 for Flood-Hit Bar Associations in Punjab & Haryana

The Bar Council of India (BCI) has rolled out a One-Time Special Relief Scheme, 2025 to support bar associations in Punjab and Haryana that suffered heavy losses due to recent floods and excessive rainfall.

The scheme aims to provide immediate financial assistance for repairing and restoring damaged bar association infrastructure. Under this initiative, district-level bar associations can avail a one-time grant of up to ₹2,00,000, while sub-divisional associations will receive ₹1,00,000. Importantly, this is a grant and not a loan, meaning it will not have to be repaid.

To encourage environmental recovery, the scheme also allocates ₹10,000 for each district bar association and ₹5,000 for each sub-divisional association exclusively for tree plantation and maintenance.

Applications must be submitted within 60 days of the scheme’s announcement, along with a resolution passed by the executive committee and an expert certificate of the damage. In exceptional cases, late applications may also be considered. Once approved, funds will be directly transferred to the official bank account of the bar association.

To ensure transparency, bar associations are required to submit a utilization report with photographs and descriptions of the completed work within three months of receiving the grant.

The BCI clarified that the term “floods” under this scheme also covers excessive rainfall and waterlogging, allowing broader coverage for affected associations.

The Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana has been directed to circulate the scheme widely and ensure quick forwarding of verified applications for sanction and disbursal.

Advocate Suvir Sidhu, Chairman of the BCI Advocates Welfare Committee, assured that both the BCI and the Bar Council of Punjab & Haryana stand in solidarity with the legal fraternity during this difficult time.