Rakesh Raosaheb Raut v. The State Of Maharashtra Through Its Chief Secretary And Others
(1)
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
BENCH AT AURANGABAD 26 WRIT PETITION NO.9817 OF 2022 RAKESH RAOSAHEB RAUT
VERSUS
THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA THROUGH ITS CHIEF SECRETARY AND OTHERS AND 87 WRIT PETITION NO.444 OF 2023 TUSHAR DNYANESHWAR KECHE AND ANOTHER
VERSUS
THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA THROUGH ITS CHIEF SECRETARY AND OTHERS ....
Mr S. S. Thombre, Advocate for petitioners;
Mr S. G. Karlekar and Mr V. M. Kagne, A.G.Ps. for respondents/ State in respective petitions CORAM : RAVINDRA V. GHUGE AND SANJAY A. DESHMUKH, JJ.
DATE : 16th January, 2023 PER COURT:
1.
The petitioners in these two petitions are identically placed. Both are working as 'Assistant Teachers' in the Secondary and Higher Secondary Military School, respectively. A two fold grievance is brought before the Court with regard to, firstly, that these petitioners deserve a pay-scale on the principle of parity amongst the Assistant Teachers, and secondly, that the fixed
(2) stipend/honorarium of around Rs.9000/-, which was being paid, is not been paid for few months. In fact, in the first petition (Writ Petition No.9817/2022), the petitioner has not received even this fixed stipend/honorarium, at any time. The petitioner in the second petition (Writ Petition No.444/2023) was being paid regular salary in the pay-scale of an 'Assistant Teacher' until March 2022.
2.
The learned A.G.P. submits on instructions, copy of which is placed before us, that the In-charge Deputy Director, Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, Directorate of Education, Pune, vide a communication dated 13/01/2023, has informed the under Secretary S.M.6, School Education and Sports Department, Mantralaya, Mumbai, that the budgetary provision will have to be made by the State Government for payment of stipend/salary/honorarium and the grant of pay-scale to such petitioners. The said communication is taken on record and marked as 'X-1' for identification. The contents of 'X-1' are reproduced as under :- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- क. शशसंमा/ २०२३/एस-५/ सैननकीसकूल/नयाप/ 27.5 नदनांक:- १३/०१/२०२३.
मा.
उचनयायालयपकरण izfr]
(3) अवरसचचव, एस. एम.
शालेयशशकणवकीडानवभाग, मंतालय, मुंबई-३२ नवषय:- याचचकाकमांक९८१७/ शी.
राकेशरावसाहेबराऊत, बीडनवरद महाराष्शासन संदभर:- शासनपतक. नयायाप-२०२२/प.क.१२०/एस.एम- नद.
९जानेवारी, २०२३.
उपरोकनवषयासअनुसरनसंदभारनकतशासनपतातीलननदरशानुसारया नयायपनवषपकरणातीलवसतुसससतीखालीलपमाणेआहे.
१.
शासन ननणरय कमांक इसैशा-२०१७/(१८३/१७)/एसएमनद.
नोवहेबर, अनवये सैननकी शाळेतील आनदवासी नवदारयारची संखयालकातघेऊनराजयातील५सैननकीशाळांनासन२०१४-१५ पासूनइयता११वीचयापतयेकी१पमाणे६आनदवासीतुकडयाव सन२०१५१६पासूनइयता१२वीचयापतयेकी१पमाणे२ आनदवासीतुकडयाधुळे वबुलढाणाजजलहयासाठीअशाएकूण८ आनदवासी तुकडया मधील शशककीय पदे मानधनावर ननमारण करणयासशासनमानयतादेणयातआली.
२.
सदरतुकडयांसाठीतयापसमचअनुदानावरयेतअसलयानेनवीनबाब पसतावानुसार वेतन अनुदान देणयापूवर नवधानमंडळाचीekU;rk घेणे vk वशयक होते.
परंतू कोववहडचया पारभूमीवर नवधीमंडळ अचधवेशनामधये या नवीन बाबीचा समावेश न झालयामुळे संबंचधत पदांसाठीवेतनअनुदानाचीतरतूदउपलबधझालीनाहीहीवसतुसससती आहेसबबनजीकचयामाचर२०२३चयाअसरसंकसलपयअचधवेशनात खचारची नवीन बाब महणून तदसर मागणी पसतानवत करन ती नवधानमंडळात मानय झालयानंतर संबंचधतांचे संदभारनकत शासन
(4) ननणरयानुसारदेयठरणारेमानधनदेणेशकयहोईल, हीवसतुसससती नवचारात घेऊन या पकरणात मा.
उच नयायालयासमोर नवभागाचे महणणेशपसपतसवरपातदाखलकरणेनयायोचचतठरेल.
सबबवरील वसतुसससतीसंदभरक.
१मधीलशासनपतातीलसूचनेनुसारआपलया मानयतेसतव सादर करणयात येत आहे.
सदर वसतुसससती मानय झालयासवरीलमुदांवरमाउचनयायालयातशपसपतदाखलकरणे शकयहोईल.
कृपयायाबाबतआदेशवहावेतहीनवनंती.
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Considering the above, it goes without saying that, the Government has to take a decision, more specifically, in the light of the contents of paragraph 2 of 'X-1', which are reproduced above. Wages to the Assistant Teachers have to be at par on the principle of the parity, unless there is a specific distinguishing factor or a specific reason for granting a different pay-scale or an honorarium to such teachers. There has to be a justified reason for making a distinction. So also, the State needs to take a policy decision with regard to the five Military Schools operated in the State of Maharashtra since 2014-15 for the 11th standard. Such decision with regard to grant of financial sanction to the payment of stipend/salary/honorarium or pay-scales, needs to be arrived at
(5) expeditiously. The State, being a model employer, cannot expect the teachers to work without salary.
4.
In view of the above, these two petitions are disposed off with the following directions :- (a) The State authorities would take a decision as regards parity in pay-scales of these Assistant Teachers concerning the Military Schools in the State of Maharashtra, on or before 15/04/2023.
(b) The arrears, if any, will have to be paid, not only to these petitioners, but to all similarly situated/comparable Assistant Teachers, though they have not approached any Court, within a period of 60 days from the date of such decision.
(c) Notwithstanding the above, whatever may be the stipend/salary/honorarium, that may have been paid or may have been payable to such petitioners and similarly situated Assistant Teachers, the concerned departments would ensure that said stipend/salary/honorarium shall be paid to these Assistant Teachers regularly on month to month basis and
(6) arrears also be cleared within 45 days from today. The pending decision for financial sanction or taking a policy decision with regard to grant of pay-scales, would not be an impediment for clearing the arrears.
(d) In the event of any grievance of the petitioners or similarly situated employees, pursuant to the completion of the above exercise, they would be at liberty to take recourse to a remedy as may be permissible in law.
(SANJAY A. DESHMUKH, J.) (RAVINDRA V. GHUGE, J.) sjk