PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has approved a transport monetisation policy for judicial officers, under which judges across the province will receive a monthly transport monetisation allowance from October 1.
The Finance Department has issued a formal notification outlining the new policy.
Under the policy, District and Sessions Judges will receive a monthly allowance of Rs195,000, while Additional District and Sessions Judges will be entitled to Rs175,000. Senior Civil Judges will receive Rs150,000, and Civil Judges will receive Rs100,000 per month.
Judicial officers will also be given the first option to purchase government vehicles currently assigned to them, except Toyota Fortuner vehicles, at depreciated prices. Vehicles that officers choose not to purchase will be handed over to the relevant provincial government administrative departments.
According to the notification, vehicle prices will be depreciated by 15% during the first year and by 10% each subsequent year. However, the price will not fall below 55% of the vehicle’s original value.
Officers who purchase their official vehicles will have Rs50,000 deducted from their monthly salaries as an instalment, while the remaining amount will be recovered before their retirement age.
The policy also provides that judicial officers who wish to retain their official drivers will have Rs30,000 deducted from their salaries each month. Otherwise, the driver posts will be removed from the district judiciary’s sanctioned strength and transferred to the surplus pool.
Vehicles purchased under the transport monetisation scheme will not be permitted to use green number plates.
The notification states that the transport allowance may be increased if fuel prices rise by an average of 20% continuously for six months. However, in the event of an extraordinary decline in federal fiscal transfers or a financial crisis, the provincial cabinet may approve a reduction in the allowance.
Any ambiguity or administrative complications arising during implementation of the policy will be resolved through consultation among the Finance Department, Peshawar High Court, Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights Department, and the relevant administrative departments.
