Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 15: In a petition regarding dearth of staff at various level in the High Court and District Courts, pay anomaly of officers and staff and promotional avenues to Law Graduate Readers, Division Bench of State High Court comprising Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar and Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur has directed the Government to explain as to how the request of the High Court is dealt with and complied.
After hearing Bench Secretary Joginder Singh in person, Division Bench observed, “first contention raised by the petitioner is that there is a dearth of staff at various levels in the High Court and District Courts. Taking note of the acute shortage of officers and staff, the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir had recommended to the Government for sanction of certain posts in its proceedings No.6455/G-S dated 05.06.2017”.
Senior Advocate AV Gupta with Advocate Aditya Gupta appearing for the Registrar General of the High Court also confirmed that it has been sent to the Government.
Upon this, Division Bench directed Senior AAG HA Siddqui to get instructions from Chief Secretary, Commissioner Secretary, Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs and Commissioner Secretary, Department of Finance and report on the next date of hearing about the status of file. “The delay if any is primarily on account of the fact that there is an acute shortage of staff in the High Court and in the District Court level”, the DB added.
Division Bench also directed Government to respond to the request of the High Court promptly and a status- report as to how the request of the High Court is dealt with and complied, to be filed on the next date of hearing.
Regarding pay anomaly, Division Bench observed, “counsel appearing for the High Court states that the issue of pay anomaly has been discussed and approved by the Committee and thereafter by Chief Justice. A formal letter will be sent by the High Court to the Government before December, 30 2017 after assessing the financial implications as required by the Government”, adding “let needful be done promptly”.
About Assured Carrier Progression (ACP), the DB said, “as and when the copy of Full Court Resolution dated 26.11.2014 is submitted the Government shall accord consideration forthwith as per applicable service rules/regulations”. About promotional avenues to Law Graduate Readers of the High Court, the DB directed Registrar General to file status-report within a period of four weeks’ from the date of communication of this order.
“The Government on its part shall file its compliance/status report within a period of six weeks from the date of receipt of this order”, the DB added.
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