Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 27: In a petition filed by All J&K Revenue Officers Association claiming various reliefs with regard to pay anomaly, which has been rejected by the respondents arbitrarily, a Bench of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) comprising D S Mahra, Judicial Member and Krishna, Administrative Member has directed the respondents to grant the applicants notionally and monetarily the pay scale of Rs 7450-11500 instead of pay scale of Rs. 6500-10500, as has been granted to their counterparts—Assistant Accounts Officers and Section Officers.
The respondents have also been directed to grant the applicants the pay scale of Rs 9300-34800 with grade pay of Rs 4600 under the 6th Pay Commission from the effective date of its implementation, notionally and monetarily from same dates as have been granted to Assistant Accounts Officers and Section Officers. Further pay revisions shall accordingly follow.
While allowing the petition, CAT observed, “the Government of India has also considered the issue of similarly situated employees and has issued Office Memorandum dated 13.11.2009 in this behalf. It is clear from the OM that the Government of India has issued a clear direction that the posts in the pre-revised scale of Rs 6500-10500 which were granted the replaced grade pay of Rs 4200 in PB-2 will now be granted Grade pay of Rs 4600”.
“The posts falling in the two pay scales—6500-10500 and 7450-11500 thus stand merged together in same pay scale with grade pay of Rs 4600 in terms of the order issued by the Government of India. Even if the OM would have been applied by the respondents to consider and decide the claim of the petitioners, their grievance in as much as the existence of pay anomaly after implementation of 6th pay commission is concerned, would have been redressed”, the CAT said.
The respondents, however, have not settled the grievance of the applicants. Moreover, it is also evident from the record that the Naib Tehsildars in State of Punjab are receiving a much higher pay band and grade pay and same is the case in State of Haryana. The respondents have also issued an order declaring the Naib Tehsildars as Gazetted posts as is the position in other parts of the country but the benefit has not been given to the applicants till date, the CAT said.
“Rather the Naib Tehsildars have been downgraded in status and pay grade from their other counterparts in an arbitrary and discriminatory manner”, the CAT added.
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