LALLAN PRASAD Vs. M.P. ELECTRICITY BOARD

JUDGEMENT

(1.) All the aforesaid three petitions are decided by this common order. The facts in all are identical and facts are taken from Writ petition No. 4344 of 2001 (Shankar Mandal vs. M.P.E.B. and another).

(2.) The petitioners were appointed as workcharged driver in M.P.E.B. vide order (Annexure P/1). They were appointed temporarily to officiate until further orders as driver in the time scale of Rs. 750 -15 -840 -20 -960 -25 -1060. Vide order dated 17.3.90 (Annexure P/2), the cadre of the petitioners were changed as Plant Assistant Grade -II (Shift Drivers) in the equivalent time scale with a clarification that it will not be treated as promotion for the purpose of pay fixation. It was directed that their seniority will be counted in the cadre of Plant Assistant Grade II from the date of joining in O. & M. Circle.

(3.) The respondents issued a policy on 19.7.1990, by which respondent -Board has granted the benefit of two options for higher pay scales to Class III and Class IV employees on completion of 9/18/26 years of services. The aforesaid option was filed by the petitioners as they had completed 9 years of service as driver and the respondent vide Annexure P/3 dated 30.4.1998 allowed benefit of this scheme to the petitioners and higher pay -scale was allowed to them vide order dated 5.6.1998. Thereafter all of a sudden vide Annexure P/5 dated 16.5.2001, the aforesaid order Annexure P/4 was cancelled and vide Annexure P/6 dated 20.7.2001, it was directed that the amount of higher pay scale so paid shall be deducted from the salary of the petitioners.