KARNATAKA ELECTRICITY BOARD Vs. Y V VENKATAKRISHNA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) These writ appeals and writ petitions with common questions of law shall stand disposed of by the following order.

(2.) The facts in out-line giving rise to these matters are these : The Karnataka Civil Services (Service & Kannada Language Examinations) Rules, 1974, which came into force with effect from January 10, 1974, prescribed certain departmental examinations for Government servants. We may, hereinafter, refer to these Rules as "KLE Rules". Rule 3 of the KLE Rules provides for a period of two years for Government servants to pass the examinations prescribed thereunder, but that period was later extended to three years by an amendment. Rule 6 of the KLE Rules provides for grant of additional increment to Government servants who pass the prescribed examinations. The additional increment is liable to be granted in the pay scale admissible to such Government servants.

(3.) The State has been revising the pay scales of Government servants from time to time. In 1970, the State constituted a Commission for the purpose, headed by Mr. Justice Tukol who was a retired Judge of this Court. Upon the recommendations of that Commission, the State revised the pay scales by framing Rules called the Karnataka Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 1970. The said rules were brought into force with effect from January 1, 1970. In 1976, another Pay Commission was constituted headed by Mr. Justice A. Narayana Pai, the retired Chief Justice of this Court. Accepting in principle the recommendations of that Commission, the State again revised the pay structure of Government servants by framing rules called the Karnataka Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 1976. These Rules came into force with effect from January 1, 1977.