The government has the discretion to make changes in the pay structure based on factors such as educational qualifications and nature of duties, and maintaining pay parity on previous occasions does not bind the government to maintain it for all times to come.

KULDIP SINGH, J.

1. This judgment shall dispose of five writ petitions bearing CWP Nos. 20860, 23045 of 2012, 1017, 28745 and 4843 of 2013, involving the same question of fact and law.

2. Petitioners in all writ petitions were working in the Animal Husbandary and Dairy Department of the State of Haryana in various capacities.

3. The brief facts have been extracted from CWP No. 20860 of 2012, titled as Jagdish Chander and Others vs. State of Haryana and Another.

4. Petitioners claim that they were appointed as Veterinary Surgeons and retired from service on various dates prior to 22.08.2012. They claim that the Haryana Government with conscious decision has granted the same pay scale to the Veterinary Surgeons and the Medical Officers/Dental Surgeons w.e.f. 01.04.1995. Even non-practicing allowance was also granted at par with the HCMS Doctors. The Government of Haryana adopted 5th Pay Commission Report of the Government of India, in which pay parity was maintained between the Veterinary Surgeons and General Duty Medical Officers. Reliance was also placed upon para 55.291 of the 5th Pay Commission Report, in which it was recommended that the posts requiring a degree of B.V. Sc. and AH with registration in the Veterinary Council of India as the minimum essential qualification may be applicable to General Duty Medical Officers and Dental Doctors under the Government of India. The Veterinaries should have complete parity with Dental and General Duty Medical Officers, as given in Annexure 55.9, in terms of pay scales and career prospects.

5. The said recommendations were accepted w.e.f. 01.01.1996 and the following pay scales were granted to the Haryana Civil Medical Service Doctors and Veterinary Surgeons in the Department of Animal Husbandry:-

Name of the post/cadre in which the Govt. servant were recruited as a directed recruited fresh entrant	First Assured Career Progression scale	Second Assured Career Progression scale
Haryana Civil Medical Service Doctors	10000-325-13900 (After 5 years of regular satisfactory service in the cadre)	12000-375-16500 (After 11 years of regular satisfactory service in the cadre)
Veterinary Surgeons in the Department of Animal Husbandry	10000-325-13900 (After 5 years of regular satisfactory service in the cadre)	12000-375-16500 (After 11 years of regular satisfactory service in the cadre)

6. Thereafter, the 6th Pay Commission of Government of India also maintained the pay parity between Medical Officers and Veterinary Surgeons on the same ground, as per para 3.8.25 of 6th Pay Commission Report. Accordingly, the pay scales of Veterinary Surgeons and Medical Officers were revised from 01.01.2006. The relevant extract of Schedule I, Part I, Haryana Civil Services (Assured Career Progression) Rules 2008, is reproduced as under:-

Name of Post Cadre	Existing Scheme	Pre-revised/ modified	Revised ACP Pay Structure
Haryana Civil Medical Services			Pay Band	Pay Band Code	Grade Pay
Medical Officers	8000-13500 (entry level pay scale)	No change	9300-34800 (entry level pay band)	PB-2	5400
	10000-13900 (after 5 years of regular satisfactory service)	No Change	15600-39100 (after 5 years of regular satisfactory service	PB-3	6000
	12000-16500 (After 11 years of regular satisfactory service limited to 20% of the post of MO in the cadre	No Change	15600-39100 (after 11 years of regular satisfactory service limited to 20% of the post of MO in the cadre)	PB-3	7600
Haryana Veterinary
	Services 8000-13500 (entry level pay scale)	No Change	9300-34800 (entry level pay band)	PB-2	5400
	10000-13900 (after 5 years of regular satisfactory service)	No Change	15600-39100 (after 5 years of regular satisfactory