Pankaj Subhash Mali And Others v. The State Of Maharashtra And Others

2026:BHC-AUG:14908-DB 15429.2025WP.odt

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY,

BENCH AT AURANGABAD.

925 WRIT PETITION NO. 15429 OF 2025 PANKAJ SUBHASH MALI AND OTHERS

VERSUS

THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA AND OTHERS ...

Advocate for the Petitioners : Mr. Shinde Balaji S. AGP for Respondent/State : Mr. P.K. Lakhotiya Advocate for Respondent nos.6, 7 and 8: Mr. Jain Rakesh N. ...

CORAM : NITIN B. SURYAWANSHI AND VAISHALI PATIL-JADHAV, JJ.

DATED : 7th APRIL, 2026.

ORDER :

.

The grievance of the petitioners is squarely covered by the order passed by this Court (Coram : Manish Pitale and Y.G. Khobragade, JJ) in Writ Petition No.8788/2025 and connected matters dated 21.07.2025, wherein similarly situated petitioners had approached this Court by making similar prayers and this Court has allowed the Writ Petition in the following terms :- "5. Accordingly the writ petitions are allowed in the following terms:- (i) The impugned action of recovery initiated by the Respondents, is quashed and set aside.

(ii) Respondent No.6/Chief Executive Officer, Zilla Parishad, Nandurbar shall scrutinize the records of these petitioners and the places at which they are deployed for performing their duties, within a period of 60 days from today, considering the Government Resolution dated 29/02/2024.

15429.2025WP.odt (iii) The cases which are without any legal impediment after verification, shall be cleared by Respondent No.6 and the salary benefits, to which the petitioners are entitled to, in the light of the one-step pay-scale made available to the employees working in the Tribal and PESA areas, shall be paid to them along with arrears as well as their current salary, within a period of 30 days, thereafter. (iv) After scrutiny, if the petitioners, on the basis of their record, are found to be ineligible, Respondent No.6, would issue notice to the petitioners, so as to enable them to appear before the said authority and address it. (v) After such hearing, which shall be completed within 120 days, Respondent No.6 shall pass an appropriate order and grant benefits one-step pay-scale to those candidates, who are found to be eligible.

(vi) The petitioners, who may suffer an adverse order after the above stated exercise is completed, shall be at liberty to avail of a statutory remedy, as is permissible in law and in the light of the Government Resolution dated 29.02.2024 issued by the General Administration Department."

2.

For the reasons stated in the said order, Writ Petition is allowed in the same terms.

(VAISHALI PATIL-JADHAV,J.) (NITIN B. SURYAWANSHI,J.) sga