Judgment

SAWANT, J.- In all these cases the relief claimed is the implementation of the recommendations of the High Power Pay Committee in respect of the emoluments to be paid to the officers belonging to Class I and Class II service employed in different public sector enterprises.

2. Earlier, these employees had approached various High Courts and this Court against the decision of the Central Government to switch them over to the Industrial Dearness Allowance pattern and the incidental steps taken to enforce the said decision. The main reliefs claimed in those petitions were that (i) the employees should be permitted to continue to draw the salary in the scales of pay applicable to them along with the Central Dearness Allowance, (ii) they should be granted all the benefits of pay revision and revision of other allowances which may be announced from time to time by the Central Government for its employees and (iii) there should be no discrimination between them and those directly employed by the Central Government and that they should get the same scales of pay and allowances for the same types of jobs in accordance with the principle of "equal pay for equal work".

3. During the course of the hearing, on August 24, 1984, this Court ordered the payment of three additional dearness allowance instalments from August 1, 1983, October 1, 1983 and November 1, 1983 to those employees who were on Central pattern of pay scales and dearness allowance subject to an individual undertaking by each employee that in case such payment resulted in the employees receiving an excess, such excess would be recovered from him from future payments, if the petitions failed.

4. On February 19, 1986, the court further ordered that all employees of public sector enterprises following the Central dearness allowance pattern and drawing a basic pay of Rs 1000 or less, will be entitled to interim reliefs on the same basis and scales as the Government of India employees w.e.f. January 1, 1986. This was also allowed subject to similar undertaking given by each employee.

5. When the matters were posted for hearing on March 14, 1986, the Central Government expressed its willingness to refer to High Power Pay Committee the question regarding the revision of pay scales, additional dearness allowance, compensatory and other allowances and such other incidental aspects relating to the employees governed by the Central pattern of pay scales and dearness allowance. Accordingly, the court directed the Central Government to constitute a High Power Pay Committee to go into various aspects relating to pay scales and other incidental matters including interim relief to the said employees, viz. the employees governed by the Central Government pattern of pay scales and dearness allowance. The terms of reference of the High Power Pay Committee were as follows :

"I. To examine the present structure of emoluments and conditions of service taking into account the total packet of benefits in cash and kind, available to the workers, clerical staff, supervisors and officers, below the Board level following the Central DA pattern and to suggest changes which may be desirable and feasible.

II. To examine the variety of allowances and benefits in kind that are presently available to the above noted employees in addition to pay and DA and suggest rationalisation, simplification thereof with a view to promoting efficiency.

III. To examine matters relating to grant of interim relief to the employees of all such public enterprises (belonging to the Government of India and following the Central DA pattern) who are drawing basic pay above Rs 1000 per month and grant necessary relief to them, if called for.

IV. While making recommendations on the above points, the Committee would keep in view other related factors such as scales of pay, DA and allowances prevailing in other public sector undertakings on Industrial DA formula, economic conditions in the country, resources available at the disposal o