STATE TIMES NEWS
New Delhi: Terming district Judiciary as the “backbone of the judicial system”, the Supreme Court on Friday directed all states and the union territories to clear salary arrears and other dues to lower court judges across the country in accordance with the recommendations of the Second National Judicial Pay Commission (SNJPC).
The SNJPC recommendations cover pay structure, pension and family pension and allowances besides dealing with the issue of establishing a permanent mechanism to determine subjects of service conditions of district judiciary.
The top court, which had accepted the recommendations made in 2020 by the SNJPC headed by former apex court judge Justice P V Reddi, directed all states and UTs to ensure that the dues under several heads are positively credited into the accounts of the judicial officers and compliance affidavits filed before it by July 30.
“In the case of payment of arrears of pay, this Court had by Orders dated July 27, 2022 and January 18, 2023 already directed that all arrears of pay be cleared by June 30, 2023. In this regard, it is directed that compliance affidavits must be filed by all States and Union Territories by July 30, 2023 that the arrears of pay have been positively credited into the accounts of the concerned officers,” said the judgement delivered by a bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices V Ramasubramanian and P S Narasimha.
The verdict said the revised rates of pension, which have been approved by this court, shall be payable from July 01, 2023.
“For the payment of arrears of pension, additional pension, gratuity and other retiral benefits as well, following the orders dated July 27, 2022 and January 18, 2023, it is directed that 25% will be paid by August 31, 2023, another 25% by October 31, 2023, and the remaining 50% by December 31, 2023,” Justice Narasimha, writing the judgement, said.