NEW DELHI, Dec 10: The caretaker Gujral government is proposing to promulgate an ordinance to retrieve the aborted Bill on the subject of hike in salary and perks of Supreme Court and High Court judges.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Union Law Minister Ramakant D Khalap said, ``The work on the Bill was done and completed and would have been brought in this session. Now we will have to go in for an ordinance. A proposal to this effect will be presented before the Cabinet.''

The proposal, mooted by the Department of Justice, has recommended a 250 per cent increase in the salary of the Chief Justice of India which will be raised from Rs 10,000 to Rs 35,000.

For the judges of the Supreme Court and the Chief Justice of High Courts, a hike of nearly 230 per cent is recommended, taking their salary to Rs 30,000 from the existing Rs 9,000. For High Court judges, it has been recommended that their salary be increased from Rs 8,000 to Rs 26,000.

Besides the salary hike, the ordinance will also include hike in pension and additional perks. The pension of Chief Justice of India is expected to be raised to Rs 25,000 from the existing Rs 5,000 and that of the judges of the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of High Court to Rs 15,000 from the present Rs 4,500. High court judges are likely to get a pension raise from Rs 4,000 to Rs 13,000.

The additional perks which have been recommended are: increase in the number of staff cars and free fuel, more post-retirement benefits.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.