Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation

2026 Supreme(Online)(Chh) 9198

IN THE HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR
Ramesh Sinha, CJ, Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, J
Bharat Lal Kaiwart – Appellant
Versus
State Of Chhattisgarh – Respondent
WA No. 283 of 2026

Advocates:
For the Appellants/Petitioners: Basant Kaiwartya
For the Respondents: Prasun Kumar Bhaduri

Employees of local governing bodies lack parity with state government employees for promotion benefits and pay-scale policies. Service rendered under local autonomous bodies cannot be equated with state government service for claiming retrospective financial benefits absent an express provision to that effect in the absorption policy.

Headnote:(A) Administrative Law - Service Law - Eligibility for time-bound pay scale (Kramonnati Vetanman) - Circular dated 10.03.2017 - Applicability to employees of local government/autonomous bodies - Employees transitioned to state department from local autonomous bodies after specified policy - Whether period of service under local body counts towards state government benefits - Held, circulars specifically providing benefits to state government employees do not automatically extend to employees of local governing bodies who were absorbed later into the state setup. (Paras 21, 23, 24)

(B) Service Law - Absorption policy - Interpretation of circulars governing arrears and service benefits - Clauses restricting retrospective grant of benefits to employees absorbed from local entities - Such clauses are binding and preclude claims for benefits based on previous service tenure. (Paras 27, 28)

Facts of the case:
Appellants, initially recruited as contract staff by local self-government bodies between 1998 and 2008, were later absorbed into the state department following a policy decision effective from 2018. The appellants sought the benefit of time-bound pay scales (Kramonnati Vetanman) based on a government circular dated 10.03.2017, which granted such benefits to state government employees. The writ petition challenging the denial of these benefits was dismissed by the Single Judge, leading to the present appeal.

Findings of Court:
The Court observed that the appellants were employees of the local governing body until their absorption in 2018. Their service conditions were governed by the specific rules applicable to those local bodies, not by the circulars meant for state government servants. Furthermore, the absorption policy expressly prohibited claims for pay arrears or benefits for the period prior to absorption.

Issues: Whether contract employees appointed by local governing bodies are entitled to government-specific pay-scale promotion policies based on tenure, and whether they can claim parity with regular state employees for their pre-absorption service period.

Ratio Decidendi: Employees of local governing bodies are distinct from state government servants. The benefit of 'Kramonnati Vetanman' under government circulars is reserved for state employees and does not apply to incumbents whose service conditions were governed by local regulatory frameworks. Furthermore, express stipulations in absorption policies limiting retrospective financial benefits are legally enforceable.

Result: Appeal dismissed.

Judgment on Board

Per Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice

1 Heard Mr. Basant Kaiwartya, learned counsel for the appellants as well as Mr. Prasun Kumar Bhaduri, learned Deputy Advocate General, appearing for the Respondent/State on I.A. No.01, which is an application for condonation of delay of 18 days in preferring the present appeal.

2 On due consideration the grounds assigned in the application (I.A. No.01), the same is allowed. Delay of 20 days in preferring the present writ appeal is hereby condoned.

3 The present writ appeal is directed against the order dated 24.11.2025 passed by learned Single Judge of this Court in WPS No.10203/2025, whereby the writ petition filed by petitioners was dismissed.

4 Learned counsel appearing for the parties submit that the issue involved in this writ appeal has already been considered and decided by this Court vide judgment dated 13.03.2026 in Writ Appeal No.193/2026, whereby this Court has held as under:-

“17. The entire controversy revolved around the Circular dated 10.03.2017 issued by the State Government with respect to the grant of Kramonnati Vetanman to the Assistant Teachers. It is necessary to notice here the circular dated 10.03.2017, which reads as under:

छत्तीसगढ़ शासन

सामान्य प्रशासन विभाग

मंत्रालय

महानदी भवन, नया रायपुर

क्रमांक एफ 10-1/2008/1-3 नया रायपुर दिनांक 10/03/2017

प्रति,

शासन के समस्त विभाग,

अध्यक्ष, छत्तीसगढ़ राजस्व मण्डल, बिलासपुर

समस्त विभागाध्यक्ष,

समस्त संभागायुक्त

समस्त कलेक्टर्स,

छत्तीसगढ़

विषय :- सहायक शिक्षकों को कमोन्नति वेतनमान प्रदाय किए जाने बाबत्।

संदर्भ :- इस विभाग का समसंख्यक परिपत्र दिनांक 24.04.2006.

-00-

इस विभाग के संदर्भित परिपत्र द्वारा शिक्षक संवर्ग में सहायक शिक्षक, शिक्षक तथा व्याख्याता को सामान्य प्रशासन विभाग के परिपत्र कमांक एफ 1-1/1/वेआप्र/99, दिनांक 17.03.1999/19.04.1999 में निहित शर्तों के अध्यधीन प्रथन कमोन्नति 12 वर्ष बाद तथा द्वितीय क्रमोन्नति 24 वर्ष बाद प्रदान किया गया है। वित्त विभाग के ज्ञापन कमांक 216/सी-2802/10/वित्त/नियम/धार, दिनांक 04.08.2010 (वित्त निर्देश 32/2010) द्वारा क्रमोन्नति योजना को संशोधित कर शिक्षक तथा व्याख्याता संवर्ग को प्रथम उच्चतर समयमान वेतनमान 10 वर्ष बाद एवं द्वितीय उच्चतर समयमान वेतनमान 20 वर्ष बाद देने का निर्णय लिया गया है।

2/अतएव उपरोक्त निर्णय के परिप्रेक्ष्य में राज्य शासन द्वारा निर्णय लिया गया है कि इस विभाग के संदर्भित परिपत्र दिनांक 24.04.2006 की कंडिका-2 में "सहायक शिक्षक" को प्रथम कमोन्नति 10 वर्ष बाद एवं द्वितीय क्रमोन्नति 20 वर्ष बाद प्रदान की जाए।

3/उपरोक्त निर्णय के संबंध में यह स्पष्ट किया जाता है कि कमोन्नति की देयता तिथि के अनुसार केवल काल्पनिक वेतन निर्धारण किया जाएगा एवं किसी प्रकार के एरियर्स देय नहीं होंगे।

4/यह आदेश वित्त विभाग के कम्प्यूटर कमांक एफ-2017-01-01093 दिनांक 09.02.2017 द्वारा दी गई सहमति के आधार पर जारी किया गया है।

छत्तीसगढ़ के राज्यपाल के नाम से तथा आदेशानुसार,

(एम.आर.ठोकूर) अवर सचिव,

छत्तीसगढ़ शासन

सामान्य प्रशासन विभाग

18. From perusal of the contents of the circular dated 10.03.2017, it is quite vivid that the Assistant Teachers, who were in Government service, are to be granted first Kramonnati Vetanman after 10 years of their service and second Kromonnati Vetanman after 20 years of their service, and the teachers and lecturers are to be granted first time-bound pay scale after 10 years of service and second time-bound pay scale after 20 years of service.

19. From pleadings made in Para-8.8 of the writ petition, undisputedly the petitioners have been appointed to the post of Shiksha Karmi Grade-III/Grade-II between the period of 1998 and 2008. It is also relevant to notice here paragraph 8.8 of the writ petition, which reads as follows:

“8.8 Between 1998-2008, the Chief Executive Officer of Janpad Panchayat appointed the Petitioners in the post of Assistant Teacher Shikshakarmi Grade 3/Teacher- Shikshakarmi Grade 2. After completion of 2 years from the date of joining, the Petitioners who were appointed as Assistant Teachers were regularised by the Chief Executive Officer of Janpad Panchayat and Teachers were regularised by the Chief Executive Officer of Zila Panchayat.

Click Here to Read the rest of this document

2026 Supreme(Online)(Chh) 9198

IN THE HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPURRamesh Sinha, CJ, Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, JBharat Lal Kaiwart – AppellantVersusState Of Chhattisgarh – RespondentWA No. 283 of 2026

Cases Referred (3)

IN THE HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR
Ramesh Sinha, CJ, Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, J
Bharat Lal Kaiwart – Appellant
Versus
State Of Chhattisgarh – Respondent
WA No. 283 of 2026