NEW DELHI, Jan 8: For the first time in the history of the Supreme Court, 25 judges including the Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, will travel to Visakhapatnam along with their families for official work – cum family vacation.
The judges will be holding a two-day meeting to discuss issues related to the top court and also hold a ‘full court’ meeting on January 11 and 12. While some of the Supreme Court judges will stay on in Visakhapatnam for vacationing, others will leave.
Sources said the Chief Justice wanted a meeting outside Delhi so that judges could have a stress-free environment. The Chief Justice discussed this with his colleagues, Justices BR Govai and Surya Kant, both senior judges in the Supreme Court. Both judges agreed with Chief Justice Khanna’s idea that instead of spending court money, judges should avail Leave Travel Concession (LTC). It is a family vacation with official work, sources added.
The CJI Khanna took the initiative and the 24 judges and their family members agreed and will travel at their own expense, availing the LTC which all Supreme Court employees, including judges, can avail. Chief Justice Khanna spoke to all the judges but 24 judges agreed. Others expressed their inability, citing fixed personal engagements.
As per the LTC scheme, employees can avail of once in two years, hometown LTC and an all-India LTC once every four years.
(Manas Dasgupta)