Team Herald
PANJIM: Days after the High Court rapped the government for violating Supreme Court’s order on extending 30 percent increase in the basic pay to the judicial officers, the Department of Law & Judiciary has issued a notification hiking their salary with retrospective effect from January 1, 2016.
“The Government of Goa is pleased to accept the summary of recommendations made by a Committee appointed by the Supreme Court in the Report on Interim Relief (pay) to the Judicial Officers, and as directed by its Order interim relief to the extent of 30 percent of increase in basic pay with accrued increments shall be paid to all categories/ranks of Judicial Officers. The increase in pay shall be treated as a separate component and no DA is payable thereon. Arrears shall be worked out with effect from January 1, 2016,” the notification reads. On the same basis, the notification states that interim relief shall be provided to the pensioners and family pensioners from January 1, 2016 and arrears will be paid accordingly.
The Division Bench of Justices R M Borde and Prithviraj Chavan hearing into a suo motu Public Interest Litigation wherein Chief Secretary and Secretaries of various related departments had slammed the government including the Law Department regarding the non-implementation of the order of the SC extending 30 percent increase in the basic pay with accrued increments to the Judicial Officers of the subordinate judiciary. The Chief Secretary was issued a show cause notice asking to explain why the directives have not been implemented and why appropriate action shall not be initiated.
The Bench sought to know why orders and office memorandums into the appointment of staff of the subordinate judiciary, imposing restrictions on their official tours and filling up the vacant posts by outsourcing candidates from the GHRDC be not quashed. It had also referred to the Principal District & Sessions Judge, South Goa, Margao a letter regarding unwarranted interference by the State Government in the matters of appointment of staff of the subordinate judiciary and directives issued for filling up the vacant posts by outsourcing from GHRDC. The PIL next will be heard on January 28.
