SC says daily allowance for CJI’s wife is justified

The Supreme Court on Friday sought to justify its demand for daily allowance for the Chief Justice of India’s wife in connection with two foreign trips last year, saying there was a practice of spouses of judges getting such allowance during official travel abroad.

The Supreme Court on Friday sought to justify its demand for daily allowance for the Chief Justice of India’s wife in connection with two foreign trips last year, saying there was a practice of spouses of judges getting such allowance during official travel abroad.

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“Government has been providing daily allowance not only to the spouse of the CJI but also to the spouses of other judges of the Supreme Court as and when they go abroad,” Supreme Court Secretary General M.P. Bhadran said in a statement.

It was reported that the SC had asked for revised sanction of “daily allowances” for the CJI’s wife, who accompanied him during the October 2009 visit to Ireland and the UK, against the practice of Indian missions giving it locally.

Bhadran, however, called the reports inaccurate.

In response to an RTI query, the government had said there was provision only for air-ticket to the spouse of CJI and judges of the Supreme Court and no other allowance had been sanctioned by the Department of Justice.

The Law Ministry, however, had said the matter was under consideration.

Bhadran said since the officers working with the Indian Foreign Service are enjoying this facility, the same has been extended to the spouses of the CJI and other judges.

According to a PTI report, Ministry of External Affairs officials denied that IFS officers’ spouses get any separate allowances.