ELIPE DHARMA RAO, J.

1. Respondents 1 to 27 are working as Laboratory Assistants in the Vector Control Research Centre, Pondicherry, which is one of the permanent institutes of Indian Council of Medical Research, established in 1975. It is a centre of excellence for research and training in vector-borne diseases and control and a World Health Organisation collaborating centre for research and training in lymphatic filariasis and integrated methods of vector control. It has been carrying out basic and applied research with the primary objective of finding newer methods and developing strategies for the control of vector borne diseases.

2. The respondents 1 to 27/applicants were originally granted the pay scale of Rs.1200-2040 as per the recommendations of the IV Pay Commission and in the V Pay Commission, their pay was fixed at Rs.3050-4590. When the applicants and other similarly placed persons have represented regarding the pay anomaly in fixation of the pay of Rs.3050-4590, the matter was referred to the Pay Anomaly Committee, which has recommended the implementation of the pay scale of Rs.4000-6000 to the Lab Assistants with effect from 1.1.1996 on par with other catego