Madhya Pradesh Government has spent Rs 63.20 lakh so far to hire country's eminent lawyers in the legal battle over reservation in promotion to state government officials, pending in the Supreme Court.
In a written reply in the State Assembly on Thursday, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan informed that an amount of Rs 63.20 lakh was paid to six prominent lawyers for arguing on behalf of the state government in the case of reservation in promotion to state government employees and officials.
Chouhan was replying to a question asked by Congress MLA Surendra Singh Baghel.
The chief minister informed that eminent lawyer Mukul Rohatgi was paid Rs 11 lakh, Harish Salve Rs 10 lakh, Sanjay R Hegde Rs 22.20 lakh, Gopal Subramaniam Rs 9.70 lakh, Indira Jaising Rs 7.55 lakh and V Shekhar was paid Rs 2.75 lakh.
Madhya Pradesh High Court in May last year had set aside reservations in promotions to SC/ST officials and employees. The HC had also said all the promotions granted as per the 2002 Madhya Pradesh Public Service Rules would be invalid. The state government has challenged this HC ruling in the Supreme Court.