Advance increment for judicial officers

Kochi: Kerala High Court has directed the state to award  advance increments to all judicial officers in the state even if they have obtained post-graduation while in service.

Justice P.B. Suresh Kumar passed the order and asked the state to comply with the order in three months time.

The court was considering a plea  filed by five munsiff magistrates, Ramesh Bhai, B. Kelam Pasha, Sankaran Nair, K.P. Sudhir and N.V. Raju seeking a directive to extend the benefit of advance increments to them.

The judges contended that the decision of the government not to give the benefit to those who were recruited without post-graduation was unfair.

The benefit of the advance increments contained in the recommendation of the pay commission has been extended in other states to the judicial officers who have obtained PG while in service also.

The court observed that if the recommendation was intended to recognise the higher qualified judicial officers, how a classification could be made between the judicial officers who have obtained PG before and after their entry in service.