P S E B Vs. SORM NATH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THESE appeals are filed against the judgments of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in the following cases : <FRM>JUDGEMENT_2726_AIR(SCW)_2006Html1.htm</FRM> THESE appeals involve a common question, as to protection of higher House Rent Allowance drawn upto 31-8-1988 by the employees of Punjab State Electricity Board, after the revision of such allowance with effect from 1-9-1988.

(2.) THE appellant is the Punjab State Electricity Board (hereinafter referred to as 'the Board'). THE respondents are/were the employees of the Board. At the relevant point of time, the Respondents were posted at Ajnala, Ramdas, Patti, Khem Karan in the district of Amritsar and at Ferozepur, in places within a radius of 16 kms from the international border. As employees posted in the border areas within a radius of 16 km from the international border, they were paid HRA applicable to I class or A class cities in Punjab, by taking note of the special problems relating to border areas. Thus all the Respondents were getting the higher rate of HRA applicable to I Class/'A' Class cities.

(3.) IN view of different interpretations of the HRA orders by different offices, the State Government issued a clarificatory Circular dated 19-9-1990 (adopted by the Board by Finance Circular No. 25/1992 dated 29-5-1992), relevant portions of which are extracted below :