P O THOMAS Vs. STATE OF KERALA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioners were skilled Labour Roll (for short the SLR). Workers in the Irrigation Department. Based on the report of the Committee for regularisation of NMR/CLR/SLR Workers, Ext.P1 Government Order was issued on 17.09.1985 taking a polite decission to absorb all NMR workers, who have completed five years' service as on 19.05.1983 to the regular establishment, after creating sufficient number of posts. It was also provided that as and when vacancies arose in the regular establishment in the posts created for absorbing NMR workers, it should be filled up by regularising the existing SLR workers on the basis of seniority.

(2.) There were three existing scales of pay allowable for NMR workers and it was provided that the regularisation should be in the three scales and that category wages shall not be payable to them.

(3.) Ext. P2 letter shows that the workers like the petitioners, who were engaged on SLR basis in the various Lift Irrigating Stations, were re-designated as SLR Lift Irrigating Operators. Under Ext. P3 Government Order dated 14.07.1986, the salary for NMR Lift Irrigation Operators were revised from Rs. 190-285 to Rs 290-425. In the next pay revision the said scale was again revised as Rs 575-900, whereas the pay scale Rs 185-245 which was also one of the pay scales allowed for NMR workers was revised as Rs 550-800.