New Delhi: The dearness allowance (DA) of judges of the Supreme Court and the 24 high courts has been increased even as proposals to give them a salary hike are pending approval of the Union Cabinet.
In a letter to the secretary general of the apex court and registrars general of the high courts last month, the department of justice in the law ministry said that the DA of the judges has been revised to 139 per cent with effect from July 1 “at the same rates (139 per cent) as are admissible to the members of the all-India service”.
The letter pointed out that according to the revised rates, central government employees continuing to draw their pay in the pre-revised pay scale as per the Sixth Pay Commission are entitled to the DA at the rate of 139 per cent which was revised from 136 per cent.
The judges have been given the DA hike based on the 6th Pay Commission as two bills to provide them the benefits of the Seventh Pay Commission are pending approval of the Union Cabinet.
While one bill deals with salary and allowances of the Supreme Court judges, the other deals with salary of the high court judges.
During a hearing last week on a case relating to grant of washing allowance to apex court staff, a bench of Justices J. Chelameswar and S. Abdul Nazir had asked additional solicitor general P.S. Narasimha about the salary of the judges which was to be brought on par with Seventh Pay Commission recommendations.
