SHILLONG, FEB 21: Opposition Congress legisator from Umsning Dr Celestine Lyngdoh on Wednesday asked if retired judges continue to be VVIPs.
During the question hour, Celestine said the reason for him asking this is because whenever they go to the Meghalaya Houses, they are always told that so and so rooms are booked for retired judges.
He also suggested the need to review the facilities provided to the retired judges. According to him, it would be a burden for a small state like Meghaalya if it has to provide same facilities to even judges with three months left for service while serving in the High Court of Meghalaya
Minister in-charge Law Ampareen Lyngdoh in her reply said, “All these facilities accorded to justices and judges are mandated by Act of Parliament. We are committed to these obligations and also several orders of supreme courts have recommended for these (facilities).”
Ampareen said, “It is a gesture of the state government we are mandated to maintain the statuses of the judges.”
Earlier, the minister informed that the secretarial assistance and domestic help allowances to retired chief justices is Rs 50,000 and retired judges Rs 40,000.
She said that full medical re-imbursement as applicable to the sitting judges under the Meghalaya Medical Attendance Rules, 2021 in all empanelled hospitals.
According to her, the same facilities are being provided by other states of India to their retired justices and judges with 3 months left for service will be extended with the same facilities.