New Delhi: The Supreme Court today said
that the judicial officers of subordinate courts will be
entitled for pensionary benefits after rendering a minimum
service of 20 years instead of prevailing 33 years.
A special bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia
accepted the recommendations of apex court-appointed committee
which reduced the minimum service required for entitlement of
pension from 33 years to 20.
The bench, hearing the matters relating to judicial
infrastructure, approved the suggestions of the Padmanabhan
committee recommending the payment of 50 per cent of the last
drawn salary of judges to be given as pension.
Justice E Padmanabhan, a former judge of the Madras
High Court, had submitted the report to the Supreme Court
proposing an average three-fold hike in existing salaries that
was recommended by the first National Judicial Pay Commission
(NJPC) in 1999.
The Bench, also comprising Justices Aftab Alam and K S
Radhakrishan, gave a green signal for raising the ceiling of
gratuity to the retired judges which was enhanced from Rs 3.5
lakh to Rs 10 lakh.
The apex court had in May directed state governments
to give salary to judges as per recommendations of the
committee.
All India Judges Association (AIJA) had approached the
apex court seeking implementation of the recommendations of
the committee contending that there has been a wide disparity
between the salary of judicial officers and other government
employees.
The second judicial pay commission was appointed
following a Supreme Court order on an application filed by the
AIJA.
PTI
