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2026 Supreme(Online)(Chh) 11149

IN THE HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR
Ramesh Sinha, CJ, Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, J
Sanjoo Ram Kanwar – Appellant
Versus
State Of Chhattisgarh – Respondent
WA No. 309 of 2026

Advocates:
For the Appellants/Petitioners: Shiv Sewak Manjhi
For the Respondents: Prasun Kumar Bhaduri

Employees of local self-government bodies absorbed into state service are not entitled to claim seniority-based pay-scale benefits meant exclusively for regular state government servants, especially when the absorption policy explicitly prohibits retrospective financial benefits or arrears for the period preceding the absorption.

Headnote:(A) Chhattisgarh Panchayat Raj Adhiniyam, 1993 - Section 95 - Chhattisgarh Panchayat Shiksha Karmi (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2007 - Service Law - Employees of municipal or panchayat bodies absorbed into state service - Claim for time-bound pay scale - Circular dated 10.03.2017 - The said circular is exclusively applicable to regular government servants and does not extend to employees of the local governance cadre - Personnel appointed under the local body service framework prior to their absorption into the state department cannot claim the status of government servants for the purpose of seeking benefits or pay-scales applicable to state employees. (Paras 21, 23, 24)

(B) Service Law - Absorption of employees - Benefit of arrears - Absorption orders expressly forbid granting any financial benefits or arrears for the period prior to the date of absorption - Clause 5 of the absorption order restricts the grant of any arrears prior to 01.07.2018. (Para 27)

Facts of the case:
A group of appellants, formerly appointed as local level educators in local self-government bodies, sought benefits of seniority-based advanced pay scales (Kramonnati Vetanman) as per a government circular issued in 2017. Their writ petitions were dismissed by the lower court on the ground that they were not government employees at the time the circular was issued, as they were inducted into the state service only upon a subsequent policy of absorption.

Findings of Court:
The court held that the appellants were governed by specific service rules applicable to local bodies until their absorption into the provincial education department effectively changed their service status. The circular dated 10.03.2017 was meant only for regular government cadre employees, and thus, the appellants failed to establish parity with those covered under the state's regular service rules.

Issues: Whether educators previously employed by local self-government bodies are entitled to the benefit of time-bound pay scales provided under a circular applicable to regular state government employees, and whether their prior service counts for such benefits.

Ratio Decidendi: Employees recruited under the local self-government framework are governed by different sets of rules than those in direct government service. As they were not government servants at the time the relevant circular was issued and their subsequent absorption order explicitly barred retrospective financial benefits, their claim for parity and retroactive pay-scale adjustments must fail.

Result: Appeal dismissed.

Table of Content
1. inapplicability of government circulars to panchayat cadre employees. (Para 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24)
2. exclusion of parity claims for non-similarly situated employees. (Para 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33)

Judgment on Board

Per Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice

20/04/2026

1 Heard Mr. Shiv Sewak Manjhi, 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 22 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 22 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.4184/2025, 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 कंप्यूटर 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

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2026 Supreme(Online)(Chh) 11149

IN THE HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPURRamesh Sinha, CJ, Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, JSanjoo Ram Kanwar – AppellantVersusState Of Chhattisgarh – RespondentWA No. 309 of 2026

Cases Referred (2)

IN THE HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR
Ramesh Sinha, CJ, Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, J
Sanjoo Ram Kanwar – Appellant
Versus
State Of Chhattisgarh – Respondent
WA No. 309 of 2026