Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Monday directed the State government to revise the pay scale of Group ‘D’ employees in the Directorate of Health Services, which has been pending for more than eight years.
Arrears must be paid within six months of January 1, 2016, according to the Division Bench’s ruling, which was signed by Justices Makarand Karnik and Nivedita Mehta.
The High Court upheld the claim of the petitioners that the minimum salary payable in their favour was Rs 7,000 with effect from the date of their appointment in view of recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission.
The government did, however, pay them Rs 5,740 at the time of their appointments, which included other allowable benefits and a pay scale of Rs 4440 to Rs 7440 with a Grade Pay of Rs 1,300.
The 11 petitioners, who were represented by Advocates Shashikant Joshi and Swapna Joshi, claimed that they were entitled to a pay scale of Rs 5400 to Rs 20,200 with a monthly grade pay of Rs 1,800 in addition to other allowable benefits. The High Court agreed with their claim.
The petitioners added that they were hired in 2009 and 2010 and had, over the years, accepted a lower salary scale without objecting.
Only in March 2023 did they file a challenge against their pay scale with the High Court. In light of these arguments, the High Court granted them pay fixation benefits in accordance with the seventh pay commission’s recommendations, as well as arrears from January 1, 2016.
