National

Three-fold salary raise for judges

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Thursday decided to increase the monthly salaries of judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts three-fold.

The revision has been necessitated by the increase in the salaries of Central government employees on acceptance of the Sixth Central Pay Commission recommendations.

Now the Chief Justice of India (CJI) will get Rs.1, 00,000 plus Dearness Allowance thereon. At present his salary is Rs. 33,000. The other judges of the Supreme Court and the Chief Justices of High Courts will draw Rs. 90,000 (now Rs. 30,000) plus DA. High Court judges will get Rs. 80,000 (Rs. 26,000) plus DA.

A committee, which went into the issue, recommended Rs. 1.10 lakh for the CJI; Rs. 1 lakh for a Supreme Court judge and the Chief Justices of High Courts and Rs. 90,000 for a High Court judge. However, the government decided to reduce the recommended hike by Rs. 10,000. The revised pay will be effective from January 1, 2006. Forty per cent of salary arrears will be given this financial year and 60 per cent in the next financial year.

Effective from September 1, 2008, the limit of both sumptuary and furnishing allowances has been doubled for all Supreme Court and High Court judges.

A government order to this effect will be issued after an amendment in the relevant legislation, says an official release.

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