STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Justice Janak Raj Kotwal of J and K High Court Jammu Wing on Monday directed to provide the benefit under SRO 259 of 2007 to the designated Section Officers (SOs) of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) at par with the designated SOs of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) along with consequential benefits.
The direction came in response to a petition filed by Prem Nath Rakwal and others, posted as Section Officers in JMC, seeking directions to implement SRO 259 of 2007 dated 18th July, 2007 in their favour.
According to the petitioners, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, General Administration Department issued notification dated 18th July, 2007 under SRO 259 of 2007 whereby the officials holding substantive posts of Section Officers of all the State Government Departments were placed in the pay scale of Rs.7,450-225-11,500 with effect from 1st January, 1996 on notional basis with monetary benefit from 19th February, 2003. However, benefit of the SRO was not given to the Section Officers of the Municipal Corporations. The Section Officers of Municipal Corporation Srinagar approached Srinagar Wing of this Court and interim order in their favour was passed by the Court directing respondents therein to accord consideration to the representation filed by the petitioners of that writ petition in accordance with the Rules. Order No. 1348 of 2010 dated 11th October, 2010 issued by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation held that in compliance and pursuant to the interim order passed by this Court, the matter was placed before Joint Meeting of General Function Committee and Finance and Planning Committee on 17th December, 2009 and with their approval designated Section Officers of Srinagar Municipal Corporation were placed in the pay scale of Rs.7,450-225-11,500 (pre-revised) with effect from 1st January, 1996 notionally with monetary benefit from 1st April, 2010. Even after extending benefit of the SRO to the designated Section Officers of Srinagar Municipal Corporation, the similarly situated officers in Jammu Municipal Corporation were not given the benefit of aforementioned SRO.
Justice Janak Raj Kotwal after hearing Senior Advocate B.S Salathia with Advocate Meenakshi Salathia appearing for the petitioner whereas Senior AAG S.S Nanda appearing for the State directed to provide the benefit to SOs of JMC at par with their counterparts posted at SMC. JNF
