CAT allows petition of All J&K Revenue Officers Association seeking removal of pay anomaly
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: A Bench of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) comprising D S Mahra, Judicial Member and Krishna, Administrative Member has allowed the petition filed by All J&K Revenue Officers Association to address pay anomaly, and directed respondent to grant applicants notionally and monetarily pay scale of Rs 7450-11500 instead of pay scale of Rs. 6500-10500, as has been granted to their counterparts i.e., Assistant Accounts Officers, Section Officers and other employees of same status and grade from same dates notionally and monetarily respectively. Consequentially, the respondents were also directed to grant 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.
While allowing the petition, CAT observed that 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 said 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 i.e., 6500-10500 and 7450-11500 thus stand merged together in same pay scale with grade pay of Rs 4600 in terms of the said order issued by the Government of India. Even if the said 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 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 Naib Tehsildars as Gazetted posts as is the position in other parts of the country but the said benefit was not given to the applicants till date. Rather, Naib Tehsildars have been downgraded in status and pay grade from their other counterparts in an arbitrary and discriminatory manner.
