Judgment

Mrs. Sujata V. Manohar, J.-Civil Appeal Nos. 401 and 402 of 1997 are filed by the State of Gujarat against a judgment of a Division Bench of the High Court granting to the Private Secretaries to the Hon’ble Judges of the High Court pay-scales of Rs. 3000-4500. For the sake of convenience the State of Gujarat is referred to as the appellant and the original petitioners before the High Court are referred to as the respondents. While Civil Appeal No. 400 of 1997 is filed by one C.G. Govindan, a Private Secretary to a Judge of the Gujarat High Court claiming the pay-scale of Rs. 3000-4500 from 1.1.1986, which appeal has been dismissed by the same common judgment.

Factual background:

2. Prior to 1.1.1986, in the Central Secretariat of the Union of India, there were four grades of stenographers-Grade A, B, C and D. Stenographer Grade A was in the pay-scale of Rs. 650-1200 while Stenographer Grade B was in the pay-scale of Rs. 650-1040. The 4th Pay Commission recommended (paragraphs 9.39 and 9.42 of the 4th Pay Commission Re­port) that Grades A and B should be merged and a uniform scale of Rs. 2000-3500 should be provided for all posts in Grades A and B combined.

3. It further recomm