The Supreme Court on Tuesday criticized states for prioritizing freebies over the financial well-being of district judiciary judges, remarking that while states have sufficient funds to distribute benefits to non-working individuals, they often cite financial constraints when it comes to paying salaries and pensions to judicial officers. 

A bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih made this observation during a hearing, following Attorney General R Venkataramani's submission that the government must account for financial limitations while determining the pay and retirement benefits of judicial officers.

"The state's have all the money for the people who don't do any work. Come elections, you declare ladli behna and other new schemes where you pay fixed amounts. In Delhi, we have announcements now from some party or the other saying they will pay Rs 2500 if they come to power," the bench remarked.

R Venkataramani argued that genuine financial constraints must be considered while addressing issues related to the pay and retirement benefits of judicial officers.

The Supreme Court’s remarks came during the hearing of a 2015 plea filed by the All India Judges Association, seeking enhanced pension for retired judges.

Highlighting the plight of retired judges, the court had previously described the situation as "pitiable," noting that some retired high court judges receive pensions ranging from ₹10,000 to ₹15,000.