Judicial Pension: SC Summons Chief Secretaries Over Delayed Payments

The Supreme Court of India summoned the Chief Secretaries of 18 States and Union Territories to address the alleged non-implementation of the Second National Judicial Pay Commission's (SNJPC) recommendations regarding pension arrears and retirement benefits for judicial officers, on August 27.

The Court, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud, along with Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, reviewed compliance affidavits from various States and Union Territories including Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Kerala, and Delhi.

As a result, the Court ordered the closure of proceedings against these jurisdictions due to their adherence to the Court's directives on payment of arrears related to pay, pension, and allowances for judicial officers. The bench conveyed that Chief Secretaries and Finance Secretaries of States that have complied with the Court's instructions are no longer required to appear before the Court.

"No pleasure is derived from summoning Chief and Finance Secretaries of the States," the bench stated, "but the consistent absence of state counsels during hearings necessitated this action."

The Supreme Court had previously directed the top bureaucrats from Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Bihar, Goa, Haryana, and Odisha to appear before it.

This directive followed a report from senior lawyer K Parmeswar, serving as amicus curiae (friend of the court), who highlighted that 18 States and Union Territories had yet to fully implement the SNJPC recommendations despite several orders and extensions of time.

The All India Judges Association (AIJA) has been actively seeking the implementation of welfare measures and other benefits for former judges and judicial officers, advocating for the fulfillment of the recommendations made by the SNJPC.