The Law Department of Government of NCT of Delhi, notified the Delhi Advocates’ Welfare Fund (Amendment) Rules, 2019, increasing the value of welfare stamp to Rs. 25 on a Vakaltnama which earlier was Rs. 5 for district courts and subordinate courts and Rs. 10 for tribunals, High Court and Supreme Court.
The amendment Act renumbered the existing Rule 21 of the Delhi Advocates’ Welfare Fund Rules, 2001 as Rule 21A and inserted the following before it:
“21. Vakalatnama to bear stamps- Every advocate shall affix stamp of a value of twenty-five rupees on every Vakalatnama to be filed by him in the courts namely Supreme Court, High Court, District Court or a court subordinate to the District Courts, tribunals and other authorities, wherever Vakalatnama is filed.
21A. Value and Designs of Stamps–
(1) Stamps shall be printed in the denominations of twenty-five rupees.”
Failure to affix a welfare stamp dis-entitles the lawyer either in whole or in part to the benefits of the Advocates Welfare Fund.