Shimla, May 7
Himachal High Court passed an order holding that employees should be paid equal pay scales for equal work. A single bench of Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan pronounced this decision while accepting the petition filed by the employees of Special Area Development Authority Shoghi, Kufri and Ghanahatti seeking a higher pay scale on Friday.
In the copy of the decision given to the media, the court held that equal pay should be paid for equal work, which is a slogan and a fundamental right of Employees.
The petitioners were working on a contract basis in the Special Area Development Authority Shoghi, Kufri and Ghanahatti and from the year 2009, they were given a higher salary of Rs 10300-34800, whereas, in the year 2014, they were given a lower salary of 5910-20200 on regularisation of their services. After this, the applicants requested the department through the report that they should also be given equal pay for equal work, which the department rejected.
This decision of the department was challenged in the High Court. The court, after perusing the records related to the case, found that different norms have been set up for the pay scales of employees of Special Area Development Authority Shoghi, Kufri and Ghanhatti. In contrast, their counterparts in Municipal Corporation, Urban Development Department and Baddi Barotiwala Nalagarh Development Authority are being paid higher. The employees are being paid the pay scale of 10300-34800 with 3600-grade pay from their regularisation.
The High Court quashed the decision of the Special Area Development Authority Shoghi, Kufri and Ghanahatti to pay less salary to the applicants and passed orders to pay higher salaries within three months from the date of their regularization. The court made it clear in its decision that if the petitioners were not given financial benefits within this period, then the petitioners would be entitled to get paid along with nine per cent interest.
