Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has granted a revised higher pay scale to assistant public prosecutors (APPs) under the Directorate of Prosecution of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD).

“LG VK Saxena has approved the proposal of granting a higher revised pay scale of Pay Band 3 with Grade Pay of Rs 54,00 to assistant public prosecutors (APPs) working under the Directorate of Prosecution, GNCTD. They will also get all consequential benefits with effect from September 3, 2015,” the LG office said on Monday.

The existing pay scale for the APPs has been in the Pay Band 2 with Grade Pay of Rs 4,800 and the proposal for revising it was placed after the Home Department examined the matter in consultation with the Finance Department which concurred with the proposal for implementation of revised scales of APPs, it said.

The revision of pay scales for the APPs came after “protracted litigations” in the Delhi High Court involving the Delhi government and others and correspondence involving the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the LG Secretariat, it said.

The LG office said the issue of revised pay scale for APPs was started in the High Court which was seized of a writ Petition (Criminal) titled ‘Court on its own Motion Vs State in which different issues affecting prosecution in Delhi i.e. pay structure of prosecutors of Directorate of Prosecution, infrastructure of DOP, fee/professional fee of Standing Counsels and counsels being engaged by the state were taken up.

The high court vide its order dated September 3, 2015, had directed the Delhi government for necessary compliances and submission of report regarding implementation of the Union cabinet decision dated September 1, 2015, approving revisions of pay structure of prosecuting officer of Directorate of Prosecution, it said.

The LG Secretariat, vide letter dated December 29, 2015, took up the matter with Union Ministry of Home Affairs and in the meanwhile the Delhi Prosecutors Welfare Association (Regd) preferred contempt petition before the high court, which vide its order dated May 31,2016, directed to comply with its order dated September 3, 2015, it added.