By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The State Cabinet on Tuesday approved the amendment of the Meghalaya Consumer Protection Act, 1982 for enhancing the emoluments of the president of the Meghalaya State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission.
Talking to newsmen after a Cabinet meeting, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Prof RC Laloo said that following this amendment, a judge who agrees to take up the assignment would be provided with a salary package on the basis of the last pay he/she has withdrawn.
“At present, the judges are being paid Rs 5000 per month plus the pension. But with this huge jump in the salaries package, the judges would no longer get the pension benefit,” he said.
According to Prof Laloo, they have also decided to raise the payment for each sitting from the existing Rs 500 to Rs 1000.
He said that they have been forced to bring this amendment since none of the sitting or retired judges of the High Court are willing to take up this assignment since the remuneration was not very attractive.
“We have also requested the Chief Justice of the High Court to recommend the name of a sitting or retired judge for appointment as the president. But even this effort of the Government did not yield any positive result,” the Minister said.
According to Prof Laloo, the post of the president has been lying vacant since the expiry of retired judge of the Gauhati High Court, B Lamare. “We are hoping that with this enhancement in the salary package some of the judges would come forward to take up the responsibility as the MSCDRC president,” he added.