All eight newly-appointed members of Lokpal took oath of office last week.
Even before the dew on the just set up Lokpal could dry up, its members are seeking status of serving High Court judges with pay and perks, including bungalow accommodation, in Lutyens Delhi.
Attorney General KK Venugopal told the five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi that he has been informed that members of the Lokpal are demanding status equal to the High Court judge.
"We are in great difficulty. A bureaucrat gets one LTC, but a judge gets four," the Attorney General told the court.
At this, CJI Ranjan Gogoi said, "If there is a retired Supreme Court judge heading a tribunal, then other members of the tribunal would be seeking the same perks and privileges."