Shillong: Meghalaya Advocate General Amit Kumar fired back at local bar associations on Saturday. He denied claims that he overcharged for work on three major arbitration cases. The High Court of Meghalaya Bar Association and the Shillong Bar Association accused Kumar of billing Rs 1.5 lakh per appearance. They claimed the set rate for the Commercial Court is only Rs 20,000. Kumar labeled these allegations incorrect and false.
The legal fight involves contractors BSC-C&C JV, BSCPL Infrastructure Ltd, and Marbaniang Projects Pvt Ltd. Kumar noted that these disputes involve massive infrastructure projects. They include the two-laning of the Shillong-Nongstoin section of NH-44, the Nongstoin-Rongjeng-Tura road, the Garobadha-Dalu road upgrade, and the MUDA Complex at Police Bazaar. The MUDA project alone carries a value of Rs 1,100 crore.
Kumar says his fees follow the Law Department’s rules. An October 11, 2018, memorandum sets a retainer at Rs 50,000 per month. It lists appearances at Rs 20,000 for the High Court and Rs 40,000 for arbitration. However, Kumar argues these specific cases sit outside that schedule. He maintains that government authorities reviewed and approved his fees because of the high financial stakes.
The scale of the workload is extreme. One case alone grew from a contract value of Rs 1,303.83 crore to Rs 2,406.46 crore. Kumar handled 16 volumes of paperwork spanning 11,000 pages. He participated in roughly 80 hearings across various courts and tribunals. Total claims against the state reached Rs 1,588 crore. Including interest, the state faced a total liability of Rs 1,788 crore by October 31, 2026.
Kumar stood by his billing. He pointed to a letter dated August 19, 2019. In it, he told the Chief Engineer of National Highways that he would charge Rs 1.5 lakh per appearance. "The fee arrangements were separately examined and approved by the competent government authorities in view of the complexity of the cases and the huge financial stakes involved," he said.
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