JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday became the first in the country to extend relief for financially distressed advocates amid the nationwide lockdown in the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic. The livelihoods of these lawyers have been affected severely because of the lockdown imposed on March 24 and later extended till May 3.“Providing the minimum financial assistance to advocates in distress, the Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu handed over a cheque of Rs 1 crore to Jawad Ahmad, Registrar General, J&K high court. J&K HC Bar Association president Abhinav Sharma and principal secretary to Murmu, Bipul Pathak , were also present at the occasion,” an official spokesperson said.“The move was a continuation of relief measures announced by the J&K administration for various strata of the society, including registered building construction workers, MGNREGA card-holders, and beneficiaries of several pension schemes,” the spokesperson added.