Pay 30 per cent interim relief to judicial officers, says SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has directed all the states and Union Territories to pay 30 per cent of the basic pay as interim relief to the subordinate judicial officers across the country as recommended by the pay commission appointed for judicial officers.

A bench of Justices J. Chelameswar and Sanjay Kishan Kaul gave this direction after hearing a petition filed by All-India Judges’ Association.

The bench, while directing the states and UTs to implement the recommendations with effect from May 1, 2018, took note of the submissions made on behalf of the states that they did not have any objection in implementing them. It said interim relief to the extent of 30 per centof increase in basic pay with accrued increments shall be paid to all categories/ranks of judicial officers. The said increase in pay shall be treated as a separate component and no D.A. is payable thereon.

Arrears shall be worked out with effect from January 1, 2016 on the above basis and arrears paid on or before June 30. On the same basis, the interim relief shall be provided to the pensioners and family pensioners with effect from January 1, 2016 and the arrears to be paid accordingly.

Wherever the benefit of interim relief has already been granted, the judicial officers in those states/ UTs can exercise their option to continue to be governed by such orders; the amounts payable by way of interim relief now proposed are liable to the adjusted against the future determination pursuant to the final report submitted by the commission, the court said disposing off the petition.