Rationalize pay of district forum members: HC

CHANDIGARH: Acting on a public interest litigation, Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday directed the states of Punjab and Haryana to constitute a three-member committee for rationalizing the pay structure of members of district forums, and those of the state consumer commissions.
HC further directed that these committees will comprise the secretary finance, secretary personnel and secretary food and supplies department and submit its report in three months.
The orders were passed by a division bench comprising Justice M M Kumar and Justice R N Raina while hearing a PIL filed by advocate H C Arora.
The petitioner had argued that while an advocate or a retired district judge is appointed as president of district consumer forum, he is entitled to a salary in the pay scale of the district judge, such advocate or retired district judge, when appointed as judicial member in the state consumer commission which is an appellate authority for hearing appeals against the decision of the consumer forum is paid only Rs 30,000 per month in Punjab while the Haryana government is paying salary at the rate of Rs 50,000 per month.