State Of Punjab And Others v. Gurpreet Singh And Others

IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA

AT CHANDIGARH Date of Decision: 28.07.2025 State of Punjab and others .....Appellants

Versus

Gupreet Singh and others ........Respondents CORAM : HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE ANUPINDER SINGH GREWAL HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE DEEPAK MANCHANDA

Present:

Ms. Arundhati Kulshreshtha, AAG, Punjab for the appellants.

* * * * * ANUPINDER SINGH GREWAL, J. (Oral) CM-4100-LPA-2025 This is an application seeking condonation of delay of 108 days in filing the appeal.

Issue notice to the respondents.

Mr. Nikhil Anand, Advocate, accepts notice on behalf of the respondents and submits that he has no objection if the delay is condoned. In view of the above, the application is allowed and delay of 108 days in filing the appeal is condoned.

Main Appeal The appellants have impugned the judgment of the learned Single Bench dated 08.01.2025 passed in Civil Writ Petition bearing No.7369-2023, whereby the writ preferred by the respondents have been allowed and they have been granted the pay scale applicable to other

Inspector Audits working in the same department. 2.

Learned counsel for the appellants submits that the respondents had been granted the pay scale of Rs.10,300-34800/- along with grade pay of Rs.4200/- in terms of recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission, which have been accepted by the State Government. She further submits that the other Inspector Audits who had been appointed prior to the appointment of the respondents, had been granted the afore-noted pay scale with a grade pay of Rs.4400/- in pursuance to the order of this Court. 3.

We have heard learned counsel for the appellants. 4.

The respondents had been appointed as Inspector Audits in Punjab Co-operative Department. They were drawing a pay scale of Rs.10,300-34,800 along with a grade pay of Rs.4,200/-. Some of the Inspector Audits who are stated to have been appointed prior to the respondents had approached this Court by preferring a petition bearing CWP-15063-2014, titled as Pankaj Sharma and others Versus State of Punjab and others and this Court by its order dated 11.05.2017 had found the petitioners therein entitled to pay band of Rs.10,300-34,800/- with grade pay of Rs.4400/- which is at par with the pay band of Junior Auditors working in other departments across State of Punjab by relying on the factum that Inspector Audits working in Punjab Co-operative Department have been treated equal to the Junior Auditors working in other departments by various judicial orders. The judgment of the learned Single Bench dated 11.05.2017 is stated to have attained finality. It is not in dispute that the respondents as well as the others who were appointed prior to the

respondents as Inspector Audits are discharging similar duties with same level of responsibilities and are drawing a grade pay of Rs.4400/-. 5.

We deem it apposite to mention that this is a classic example of frivolous litigation on the part of the State despite the matter with regard to the grade pay of Inspector Audits having attained finality in terms of judgment of this Court in the case of Pankaj Sharma and others (supra). Besides, in the case of Satbir Singh Versus State of Haryana, 2002(2) SCT 354 directions were issued by this Court to the States of Haryana, Punjab and U.T. Chandigarh that if a relief has been granted to an employee by an order of the Court, the same ought to be extended to other similarly situated employees even though they are not party to litigation so that they are not compelled to approach the portals of this Court. This judgment does not appear to have been followed by the State of Punjab. 6.

In view of the above, we do not find any merit in this appeal, which stands dismissed.

7.

All pending miscellaneous application(s) also stand disposed of. (ANUPINDER SINGH GREWAL) JUDGE (DEEPAK MANCHANDA) JUDGE 28.07.2025 sapna Whether Speaking/Reasoned :

Yes/No Whether Reportable :

Yes/No