District Court Judges Petition Delhi High Court for Government Accommodation

A petition filed by judges working in the district court has brought to light the pressing issue of government accommodation for judicial officers in the capital. The Delhi High Court has issued notices to both the Center and the Delhi government, seeking their response regarding the inadequate availability of suitable residential accommodations for district court judges. Acting Chief Justice Manmohan Singh and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, presiding over a division bench, directed the authorities to submit their replies within four weeks. The matter has been scheduled for a hearing on July 16.

Judicial Service Association Takes Action

The petition, lodged in the High Court by the Judicial Service Association, Delhi—a representative body of judicial officers in the capital—calls for urgent measures to address the dearth of suitable government accommodations for Delhi Judicial Service Officers and Delhi Higher Judicial Service Officers. Currently, with a total of 823 judicial officers working in Delhi, only 347 residential units are available in the judicial pool. Consequently, nearly half of the judicial officers lack official residential accommodations, indicating a dire situation.

Allegations and Past Directives

The petition highlights a lapse in complying with directives issued by the Supreme Court in 1991, mandating state and central governments to provide official residential accommodations to all judicial officers. Despite these clear instructions, numerous judicial officers in Delhi have been left without government-provided residences, relying solely on insufficient house rent allowances. The petition stresses that the current house rent allowances—set at 27 percent of basic pay—are inadequate to secure suitable accommodations in the city, forcing many officers to reside in distant areas like Faridabad, Noida, and Ghaziabad, leading to significant transportation challenges.

Proposed Solutions

To mitigate the housing crisis, the petition proposes allowing judicial officers to apply for accommodations under the Central Pool and State Pool until sufficient residential units are constructed for them. This measure aims to alleviate the burden on officers grappling with inadequate housing options and facilitate better access to suitable accommodations within the capital.”