JPC seeks suggestions from Judicial officers on allowances

The Second National Judicial Pay Commission is constituted by virtue of the order dt: 09-05-2017 of Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, followed by subsequent gazette resolution dt: 16-11-2017 by Dept. of Justice, Government of India. This Commission submitted interim report to the Supreme Court dt: 09-03-2018 proposing 30% of interim relief on existing basic pay, which is accepted in toto by issuing directions to comply by 30.06.2018.

This Consultation paper speaksabout giving monetary incentives, emoluments and conditions of services including post-retirement allowances and benefits to the working and retired judicial officers and other stakeholders in this Country.The Commissionproposed to evolveuniform pay scales to treat the Judges of Subordinate Judiciary differently in matters relating to pay; allowances and conditions shall not be compared with the pay scales of Civil Administrative officers.

Certain High Courts in this country adopted 7th CPC scales to the judicial officers, ranging from Civil Judges (Junior Division) starting from Rs.73,200/- in (Pay level-10) to District Judges (Super time-Scale) to Rs.2,24,100/-in ( Pay level-15).  The Master Pay Scale that emerges as per the methodology formula  adopted by Justice Padmanabhan Committeestarting fromRs.77840-2160-92960-2590-113680-3030-137920-3460-165600-3880-188880-4330 to 214860 to the Judges of Subordinate Judiciary.The Commission proposed fixed pay structure in Master Pay Scales without increments operative for certain number of years should be evolved for the Judiciary in tune with the pay model applicable to Judges of High Court which spells out from civil Judge (Jr Division) (JCJ) – Rs.1,00,000, JCJ-1st Stage ACP Scale–1,10,000, JCJ-2ndStage ACP Scale – 1,20,000, Civil Judge (Sr. Division)(SCJ) – 1,35,000, SCJ-1st Stage ACP Scale-1,50,000,SCJ-2nd Stage ACP Scale-1,65,000, District Judge(Entry level) (DJ)–1,85,000,DJ- Selection Grade– 2,05,000, DJ-Super time-Scale–2,24,000. This Commission is yet to the view to propose for utilization of retired judicial officers for a period of 5 years after retirement in regular judicial works or in other judiciary-related duties.

The Commission would like to seek suggestions from the judicial officers through questionnaire annexed to consultation paper with regard to 16 types of allowances being drawn by the judicial officers viz., DA, HRA, CCA, Electricity & Water Charges, Medical Allowance & reimbursement, LTC/HTC,TA, Telephone Facility, Concurrent Charge Allowance, Home Orderly Allowance, Newspaper Allowance, Robe Allowance, Children Education Allowance, Facility for soft loans and Allowance for Higher Qualification (Giving monetary incentives for Judicial officers who acquired LLM or Ph.D in Law).

The Commission  proposes to hold regional conferences in certain cities in very near future. In the next part, the Commission shall be examining and dealing with the judicial administration, working method and work environment for promoting efficiency in the judicial administration i.e.

A 69-Pages consultation paper is appended to this press note along with questionnaire which forms part of the consultation paper and tentative judicial pay scales, 2016 working as per 7th CPC Pay Matrix.