The dearness allowance (DA) of judges of the Supreme Court and the 24 high courts has been increased even as proposals to give them a salary hike are pending approval of the Union Cabinet.
In a letter to the secretary-general of the apex court and registrars general of the high courts last month, the department of justice in the law ministry said that the DA of the judges has been revised to 139 % with effect from July 1 “at the same rates (139 %) as are admissible to the members of the all-India service”.
The letter pointed out that according to the revised rates, central government employees continuing to draw their pay in the pre-revised pay scale as per the Sixth Pay Commission are entitled to the DA at the rate of 139 % which was revised from 136 %.
During a hearing last week on a case relating to grant of washing allowance to apex court staff and officers, a bench of justices J Chelameswar and S Abdul Nazir had reportedly asked Additional Solicitor General P S Narasimha about the salary of judges of the Supreme Court and high courts which was to be brought on par with Seventh Pay Commission recommendations for central government employees.
While one bill deals with salary and allowances of the Supreme Court judges, the other deals with the salary of the high court judges.
The bills are likely to come up for Cabinet’s consideration in the coming days and would be tabled in Parliament in the Winter Session.
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