Sixth Pay Commission benefits to judicial officers in Gujarat

The judicial officers in the state will soon have pay and perks as per the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission. The state finance minister has finally cleared the file on the issue.

This was claimed as per an affidavit filed by the state government before the Gujarat High Court which also claimed that the file has now been sent for consideration by the chief minister.

Following the affidavit, the First Bench of the court comprising Chief Justice SJ Mukhopadhaya and Justice KM Thaker in an order made available Monday directed the government to “implement the order of the Supreme Court in its letter and spirit” and allowed further three weeks time.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Gujarat Labour Court Judicial Officers' Association and observed that the central government revised the pay scale of judicial officers of the state by notification dated June 26, 2009. The court noted that the benefits of revised pay scale were not given to the officers posted in the Labour courts though it was provided to the members of Gujarat State Judicial Service.

The bench in an earlier hearing of the case had come down heavily on the state government for not complying with the Supreme Court’s order dated May 4 which directed to raise pay scales and allowances with effect from 1st January, 2006. Arrears were ordered to be paid, 60% by cash spread over in two financial years and 40% through deposit in the PF account. The matter is now slated to come up on December 20.