Government to provide benefits to retired judges

The AAP government has decided to provide a series of post-retirement benefits to Chief Justices and judges of the Delhi high court. Besides free of cost telephone facility, the city Cabinet, chaired by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, has decided to provide them an orderly, driver and security guard at the state’s expense.

At present, the retired Chief Justices of the Delhi high court get about Rs 1.05 lakh to Rs 1.10 lakh monthly pension. The retired judges are paid a monthly pension of about Rs 1 lakh. On the other hand, a city legislator elected only once gets a monthly pension of Rs 7,500. But if the legislator is elected again, he gets an additional amount of `1,000 every year. That means a two-term legislator ends up getting Rs 12,500 monthly pension.

A source said that the city Cabinet has decided to provide an allowance of Rs 14,000 and Rs 12,000 to the retired Chief Justices and retired judges, respectively, for engaging an orderly, secretarial assistance, driver and security guard. “A residential telephone free of cost with number of free calls to the extent of Rs 1,500 per month over and above the number of free calls per month allowed by the telephone authorities to both the retired Chief Justices and judges of the Delhi high court. The benefit of allowance will be co terminus with lifetime of the concerned judges.” The post-retirement benefits to Chief Justices and judges will, however, be based on the minimum wages of rates of clerical staff and skilled and unskilled category of persons in the national capital.

The Cabinet proposal is reportedly in compliance with the Supreme Court decision of March 31, 2014, and further directions passed by the apex court in connection with the matter during the course of a hearing on July 12.

Senior officials said that a similar proposal was earlier referred back to the law department by the Chief Minister only a few months ago.

This was on the second occasion when the proposal was finally approved by the city cabinet.