SATPAL SINGH Vs. STATE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This writ petition has been filed by Satpal Singh, who is working on the post of Chief Veterinary Pharmacist, with a prayer for quashment of letter dtd. 27/3/2019, addressed by the Director, Animal Husbandry to the Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry, Kangra at Dharamshala, whereby the representations given by the petitioner for stepping up of his pay at par with respondent No.4, who was appointed with the petitioner on the same day and grant equivalent basis pay to the petitioner w.e.f. March 2016 i.e. Rs.20,090.00 instead of Rs.19,750.00 and consequential benefits, had been turned down by the respondent authorities.

(2.) It is contended that both the petitioner and respondent No.4 were appointed as Veterinary Pharmacist on 22/12/1986 and later on promoted to the post of Animal Husbandry Assistant in the month of December 2013. There was no pay anomaly between them till the year 2016, but, the same was cropped up in the month of March 2016 when the basis pay of respondent No.4 was fixed at Rs.20,090.00 and that of the petitioner was fixed at Rs.19,570.00 -. The petitioner has filed subsequent representation dtd. 31/7/2018 (Annexure P-5) to the Director, Department of Animal Husbandry, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh which was followed by another representation dated 26 th October, 2018 (Annexure P-6).

(3.) The learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that since the Director, Department of Animal Husbandry, Government of Himachal Pradesh, has already taken a view against the petitioner, he may be permitted to approach the Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry, Government of Himachal Pradesh, by means of appropriate representation. The petition is, therefore, disposed of with liberty to the petitioner to submit a comprehensive representation, raising all the arguments, which he has agitated in the present writ petition, who shall examine the grievances of the petitioner and decide the representation by a reasoned and speaking order within three months from the date of submission of a copy of this order before him.