B K Gupta & ANR v. State Of Haryana & ORS
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The petitioner(s) joined the Irrigation Department, Haryana, as a Junior Engineer (J.E.) on 27.01.1982. During service, he acquired higher qualification AMIE, equivalent to B.E., in December 1986. He retired on 31.10.2012 at the age of 58, as per government policy. One R.K. Sharma, a retired Junior Engineer, joined the department on 27.09.1973, acquired AMIE in June 1982, and retired on 31.12.2005 at age 58. The Finance Department, Government of Haryana, issued Notification No. 6/144/4PR
(FD)-87 dated 27.01.1992 revising pay scales of Junior Engineers. It provided for two advance increments for those acquiring AMIE or equivalent degrees, subject to completion of five years of regular satisfactory service. The Irrigation Department initially granted these two advance increments at Rs. 60/- or Rs. 75/- as per the pay scale. However, confusion arose in some field offices regarding whether these increments were to be merged into basic pay and whether Dearness Allowance (DA) was applicable on them. On 07.09.1992, the Diploma Engineers Association met the Engineer-in-Chief, who agreed that the increments were part of pay and DA was applicable. A letter dated 30.09.1992 confirmed this. However, this instruction was later withdrawn unilaterally by the Engineer-in-Chief on 08.01.1993, without consulting the Association.
The Finance Department revised the J.E. pay scale to Rs. 6500-200-8500-EB-200-9900 as of 01.01.1996, with increments of Rs. 200/-. Prior to this, increments were Rs. 60/- or Rs. 75/-. Junior Engineers who acquired higher education before 01.01.1996 were granted Rs. 400/- per month. The petitioner(s) faced financial hardship due to discrepancies in increments. In 2006, the then Executive Engineer revised personal pay from Rs. 60/- or Rs. 75/- to Rs. 200/-, but withdrew the two advance increments benefit from R.K. Sharma (from 09.08.2002 till retirement on 31.12.2005) without notice, due to misunderstanding of government instructions. Recovery of Rs. 1,911/- was made from Sharma's dues. The Financial Commissioner & Principal Secretary, Haryana, clarified the grant and discontinuation of the two advance increments vide U.O. No.
2/38/2002-3PR (FD) dated 10.08.2006.
Department on 30.08.2011 and Additional Chief Secretary, Irrigation Department on 15.01.2013, affirming that the increments should be merged in basic pay without affecting the date of the next annual increment. Despite these instructions, the petitioner(s) pay was not re-fixed accordingly. The Executive Engineer of Karnal Water Services Division withdrew two advance increments benefits and made a recovery of Rs. 17,640/- from petitioner(s) final dues without prior notice or grounds. The petitioner(s) filed representations and a legal notice for implementation of government instructions. The Executive Engineer failed to comply. The petitioners challenged the recovery order dated 13.12.2013 before the Hon'ble High Court (CWP No. 5886 of 2014). The Court directed the respondents to decide the representation within three months.
The respondents rejected the petitioners' claim stating that the grant of increments was a clerical error, and no valid office order existed. The petitioner(s) contended that the increments were granted through official orders, with payments duly received and verified by multiple officials, hence not a clerical mistake. Other Junior Engineers and employees, including those in Haryana State Agriculture & Marketing Board, have been granted these increments following the same government instructions. Past cases have seen restoration of similar increments on court direction. 3.
Contentions On behalf of the petitioner(s) Learned counsel for the petitioner(s) respectfully submits that the petitioner(s), having initially joined the Department in the capacity of Junior Engineer, subsequently acquired the qualification of A.M.I.E., which
is recognized as equivalent to a B.E. degree. In light of this, the petitioner(s) became entitled to the grant of two advance increments in accordance with the Finance Department Notification dated 27.01.1992, subject to the condition of satisfactory service.
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