ACCOMPANIST WELFARE ASSOCIATION Vs. STATE OF CHHATTISGARH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE petitioners are working as Accompanist (Sangatkar) in Indira Gandhi Music University, Khairagarh. They have challenged the order dated 6th January, 2010(Annexure P -1) whereby the State Government has rejected their representation for grant of pay -scale of Rs.5000 -8000/ -.

(2.) ACCORDING to the learned counsel for the petitioner, the Accompanists are treated as Teachers under the set up of the University as mentioned in Annexure P -9 and the Singh Deo Committee has also recommended that the Assistant Teachers/Musicians/Sarangi/Accompanists should be paid pay scale of Rs.1200 -2040 and Rs.1400 -2640/ -. He would also submit that vide Annexure P -26, the State Government has increased the age of superannuation of Accompanists from 60 to 65 years on the reasoning that the Accompanists are also imparting music teaching, therefore, their age of superannuation should be at par with Music Teachers. He would submit that for all these reasons, the State Government should have treated Music Teachers and Accompanists at par and should have granted them the pay scale of Rs.5000 -8000/ - which has been made admissible to the music teachers.

(3.) IN the matter of Steel Authority of India Limited and others Vs. Dibyendu Bhattacharya (2011) 11 SCC 122, the Supreme Court has held in para 31 thus: