ASHOK KUMAR MAITY Vs. STATE OF JHARKHAND

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE petitioner is aggrieved by the office order dated 22.12.2011(Annexure -11), whereby the petitioner's pay scale has been reduced to Rs.1200 -2040/ - on the ground that he acquired qualification of training after 31.12.1985. He is also aggrieved by withholding of his salary since October,2011.

(2.) THE petitioner's case is that under the UNICEF plan, Science Teachers were to be appointed in Primary Schools to be called as 'Additional Science Teachers'. Accordingly, 2300 units of Science Teachers were created in Non -Scheduled area by letter dated 20.02.1981 and 700 units of Science Teachers were created in Scheduled area. The untrained science teachers were also to be appointed with condition that they will have to take in - service training after their appointment, failing which their services would be terminated. Those teachers will be entitled to get pay scale of a trained teachers with effect from the date of completing training and getting the certificate. The petitioner along with others were appointed as Science Teachers. Their remuneration was fixed on a stipend basis. For Graduate Untrained Teachers, the stipend was fixed at the scale of Rs.680 -965/ - and for Graduate Trained Teachers, at Rs.850 -1360/ -. The petitioner was bachelor in Science(B.Sc.) and his scale was (untrained) Rs.680 -965/ -. After his appointment, he was sent for the service training by the respondents. He successfully completed the training while in service. After completion of training, the petitioner became eligible for getting graduate trained scale of pay. For that purpose, the District Superintendent of Education, Singhbhum issued letter no.13240 dated 15.12.1992 allowing scale of Rs.1640 -2900/ - w.e.f. 24.06.1992. Accordingly, orders were issued to that effect. His pay fixation was approved by the competent authority of the department. Subsequently, the recommendation of V Pay Revision was adopted by the State Government. The pay scale was revised. The pay scale of Rs.1640 -2900/ - was replaced by Rs.5500 -9000/ -. The petitioner's pay was fixed in the said revised scale w.e.f. 1.1.1996.

(3.) THE said order dated 22.12.2011(Annexure -11) has been assailed by the petitioner on the ground that the same has been passed without taking into consideration that the petitioner was already trained and his pay scale was fixed by the competent authority. According to their qualification, the petitioner has acquired in - service training and is entitled to get trained graduate pay scale from the date of acquisition of the training certificate. The impugned order is wholly arbitrary and illegal. Any order, which has effect of reduction of pay scale, cannot be implemented with retrospective effect.