The first regional conference of the Second National Judicial Pay Commission was held in Mumbai on October 2. The conference was held to take inputs of judicial officers of lower judiciary on pay scale, emolument, service conditions, retirement benefits, post-retirement jobs in judiciary, infrastructure and environment of the lower court and judicial working conditions. Judicial representatives from Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra participated in the conference.
“By virtue of duties performed by judicial officers they are not equated with state government officers, even though it is essentially a state subject. Though there is revision of pay scales for employees of the central government, judicial officers are governed by old pay scales. We have given an interim report recommending interim pay benefits which are substantially benefiting the judicial officers. They are getting maximum DA of more than 140 percent against the existing pay scales and more than 30 percent of the basic pay,” said, Justice (retd) PV Reddy, chairman, Second National Judicial Pay Commission.
He also said that despite lack of proper infrastructure and utilities in villages and slow response from high courts and state governments, the commission is working expeditiously. Court infrastructure and working conditions have to be congenial for judicial officers and this will be done in the next phase, he added.
The consultation paper on pay scales, allowances and pensions, which will be finalised after similar conferences in the southern, central and eastern parts of the country, will form part of the final report.
After the sixth central pay commission and the first judicial pay commission report, the supreme court in 2002 constituted Padmanabhan Commission to give recommendations on pay scales, allowances and perquisites of judicial officers. The commission’s report was submitted in 2009 and accepted by the SC.
“‘Due to some anomalies, the All India Judges Association filed a writ petition in the SC for constitution of a separate pay commission for judicial officers. The SC in May 2017 allowed constitution of the Second Judicial Pay Commission. In March 2018, in an interim relief the SC directed all the states to implement the interim report of the commission by June 30. While many complied, some states did not implement the order. Thereafter responses of high courts, state governments , judicial officers association, retired and service officers that formed part of consultation paper have been added to report which was submitted in July 2018,” said VK Gupta, member secretary, Second National Judicial Pay Commission.