Guj. Govt. pulled up for inaction on pay revision of judicial officers

The Gujarat High Court Tuesday pulled up the state government for its failure to follow a Supreme Court directive with respect to pay revision for judicial officers in the state as per the recommendations of the sixth pay commission.

The bench comprising Chief Justice SJ Mukhopadhaya and Justice JB Pardiwala directed the State government’s three senior officials - two Additional Chief Secretaries and the Legal Secretary to remain personally present in the court on next date of hearing to explain their lapse in following the Supreme Court order.
The Supreme Court had earlier directed the State to raise pay scales and allowances of the judicial officers with effect from 1 January 2006. Arrears were ordered to be paid, 60% by cash spread over in two financial years and 40% by depositing in their PF account.
The court was hearing a group of matters challenging the state’s inaction in implementing sixth pay commission’s recommendations for judicial officers and Class III and IV employees working in the state judiciary.
During the hearing today, the judges allowed the government a week’s time to take corrective and follow up measures to comply with the order while, expressing their displeasure upon the state’s ‘attitude’. The matter has been posted for June 20.
The court also segregated the petitions pertaining to issue of wage rise of Class III and IV employees working in the judiciary and posted it for July 7.

The court had earlier also called secretaries of various departments (General Administration department, Legal Department, and finance department) to remain present in the court. They had appeared to address the court on the issue. This is the second direction from the court when the court has called the senior officials for their inactions.
The court had noted that the central government had revised the pay scale of judicial officers of the state by a notification on 26 June 2009. However, the benefits of revised pay scale were not given to the officers posted at Labour courts or industrial courts though it was provided to the members of Gujarat State Judicial Service.
Source : Law et al. Media 2009