The registrar of the SC has recently sent the bills on the judges' Eid bonus to the AG office according to the new salary structure.

But the AG office sent back the files, saying the increased bonus will be introduced from next year "in line with the provision under the new pay scale".

The registrar office argued that the new pay scale will not be applicable for the SC judges as their salaries and remuneration are not disbursed under the pay scale for government employees.

The SC judges are paid under the Supreme Court Judges' (Remuneration and Privilege) Ordinance, 1978, which the government amended in September.

The judges have been drawing increased salaries since the amendment in parliament. They should get the Eid bonus under the amended law as well, the SC registrar office argued.

Although only a few days are left before the Eid, the judges are still waiting for their festival bonus as the AG office is sitting on the files.

"We hope the AG office will take a quick decision and the judges will get their bonus before the Eid vacation starts," SC Registrar Fazlul Karim told The Daily Star last night.

According to a government announcement, the new pay scale, which was made effective from January this year, will be implemented in three phases and the festival bonuses under it will be disbursed after July 1, 2006.