In what could delay issuance of an ordinance to hike the salaries of Chief Justice of India,Chief Justices of various High Courts,judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts,the Parliamentary Committee on Law,Justice and Personnel has summoned senior officers of the Union Law and Justice Ministry on January 7 to discuss the issue. The panel,which is headed by Rajya Sabha member Dr E M S Natchiappan,has asked the Law Ministry to present evidence on the subject. Sources in the panel told The Indian Express that the panel would like to understand the issue. On January 2,the Union Cabinet had given its nod to a proposal of the Union Law and Justice Ministry to get an ordinance promulgated to give effect to the increase. A Bill to increase salaries of the CJI,CJs and judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts could not be passed in the LS on December 22 due to the din after the Minority Affairs Minister A R Antulay remarks concerning the killing of Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare. The Bill proposed to hike the monthly salary of the CJI from Rs 33,000 to Rs 1 lakh and that of other apex court judges from Rs 30,000 to Rs 90,000. The monthly salary of HC CJs was to go up from Rs 30,000 to Rs 90,000 while that of judges was to be increased from 26,000 to Rs 80,000.
