BANGALORE, DEC 12: The Union Government's refusal to exempt Supreme Court and High Court judges from the Income Tax net has come as a blow to the judges who were expecting an exemption in the wake of the government decision to hike their salary and perks.

Snubbing the hike announced by Union Law Minister Ramakanth D Khalap, the Karnataka High Court judges said the Union Government's decision to promulgate an ordinance to hike the salary and perks was a ``mere eyewash, coming a little too late in the day''.

``We will try to be pleasant. At least, the political executive thought about us. But it's not enough to keep the Judiciary intact in this country,'' the judges told The Indian Express. The Union Government is all set to effect a 250 per cent hike in the salary of the Supreme Court Chief Justice and a 230 per cent hike in the salary of the Supreme Court and High Court judges, which is viewed as ``unprecedented in the Indian Republic''.

The salary hike as perceived by the new ordinance would increase the salary of the HC judges from Rs 8,000 to Rs 26,000. The salary of the High Court Chief Justice would see a corresponding jump from Rs 9000 to Rs 30,000.

``Don't read nothing much into these figures. What is being done is that all the allowances which we are getting now will be merged into the basic pay. At present, we are getting around Rs 28,000, including all allowances. Now with the hike, we may at the most benefit by another Rs 5000. But, then think of the 30 per cent income tax which will be deducted from our ``hiked, basic salary,'' said a senior HC judge.

Some of the judges who spoke to this newspaper said they were disappointed that there demand to exempt them from the I-T net was once again shot down by the Union Law Ministry. ``By one hand they give us something, and by the other hand they take it away. We are being treated like any other government employee, which is unfortunate. This is one reason why you don't get good people to become judges,'' said another judge.

``Don't tell me the Executive couldn't have done this for the 500 High Court judges in a country of 90 million people. We need to be above board and we are. But....'' one of the judges petered off as he talked about the pressure that was mounting on the judges. Apparently, the last hike came a decade ago when the salary was hiked to the existing Rs 8000.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.