KEWAL RAM SHARMA Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This judgment will also dispose of Civil Writ Petition Nos. 4891 of 1985; 4943 of 1986; 1104, 1163, 1358, 1749, 3173 and 3596 of 1987, as the question involved is common in all these petitions.

(2.) The petitioners belonging to the different departments are claiming the same pay which their counterparts are getting in the service of the Punjab Civil Secretariat by invoking the principle of "equal pay for equal work", as enunciated by the Supreme Court in Randhir Singh v. Union of India, 1982 AIR(SC) 879.

(3.) Out of these nine writ petitions, six, i.e. Civil Writ Petition Nos. 1376 of 1986, 1358, 1749, 3173, 1163 and 1106 of 1987 have similar facts and the relief sought for is also almost the same. The first five are by the ministerial employees of the various Directorates in Punjab, viz; Agriculture, State Transport, Animal Husbandry, Industries and Health and Family Welfare whereas the sixth, writ petition No. 1106 of 1987, is by the similar employees in the office of the Advocate. General, Punjab. The remaining three petitions, i.e. C.W.P. Nos. 4891 of 1985, 4943 of 1983 and 3596 of 1987 have individual facts each and they are that in CWP No. 4891 of 1985, the petitioners who are Superintendents in the office of DHS, Haryana, Engineer-in-chief PWD (Irrigation) have sought parity in the matter of grant of special pay to them with the Supreintendents in the Haryana Secretariat and also the grant of Selection grade to them from 11.4.1972 the date when that was given to their counterparts in the Secretariat instead of 1.9.1984, the data from which it was actually given to them, whereas the other petitioners who are Administrative Officers/Planning Officers etc, have sought higher scale of pay than the one given to them.