(1) Every advocate may apply to the Trust Committee for admission as a member of the Fund in such form as may be prescribed.
(2) On receipt of an application under sub-section (1), the Trust Committee shall make an enquiry as to the eligibility of the applicant for admission as a member of the Fund and shall either admit the applicant as a member of the Fund or, for reasons to be recorded in writing, reject the application:
Provided that no application shall be rejected without giving the applicant an opportunity of being heard.
184 The West Bengal Advocates Welfare Fund Act, 1991. • XIII of 1991.
(Section 19.)
(3) Every applicant shall pay an application fee at the following rates:—
(a) in the case of an applicant who has been an advocate for fifteen years or more, rupees two hundred;
(b) in the case of an applicant who has been an advocate for less than fifteen years but not less than five years, rupees one hundred;
(c) in the case of an applicant who has been an advocate for less than five years, rupees fifty.
(4) The application fee as aforesaid shall be payable in four equal instalments in such manner as may be prescribed:
Provided that the first instalment shall be payable with the application for admission as a member of the Fund:
Provided further that an applicant belonging to the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes shall pay an application fee equal to half of such fee in accordance with the provisions of clause (a) or clause (b) or clause (c), as the case may be, of sub-section (3).
(5) When an application for admission as a member of the Fund is rejected under sub-section (2), the first instalment of the application fee paid by the applicant shall be refunded to him.