Move to hike district judges’ pay, perks

It has proposed that the rank and salary of judges of district courts be equated with that of the Additional Secretary in the Government of India and that they be provided free residential accommodation, free conveyance and free phone. The salary slab of an Additional Secretary is Rs 22,400-Rs 24,500.

And in case an official car is not provided, the judges should be reimbursed cash equivalent to 75 litres of petrol per month. The reimbursement would be approximately Rs 2,200 at current rates whereas central government employees get Rs 800 per month.

Besides these, the ministry has sought special benefits—not available to central government employees—such as leave encashment, sumptuary (entertainment) allowance, and 15 days leave travel concession.

These proposals have been opposed by the Ministries of Finance and Personnel on grounds that it involved additional expenditure by the government on an already-burdening salaries component and would start fresh demands by the central and state government officials for a pay revision.

The higher rank and pay for district court judges—who are recruited through state PSC—would disturb the parity among officials of other services who are recruited through PSCs. It would also result in clamour from high court judges—equated with secretary in the Government of India—for higher salary and emoluments to maintain the current difference in the salary slab. A secretary gets a salary of Rs 26,000.

The Law Ministry has also recommended that the rank and pay of a civil judge entering the subordinate judiciary service be fixed higher than that of an IAS officer. This, said sources, would disturb the age-old hierarchy among district officials as the rank and pay of a magistrate—entirely responsible for district administration—would become subordinate to that of the judge.