C O M M O N O R D E R

(Order of this Court was made by S.M.SUBRAMANIAM,J.)

The order of recovery to recover the excess salary paid to the writ petitioners are sought to be quashed in the present writ proceedings.

2. The petitioners are working as Senior Bailiff/Junior Bailiff/Masalchi/Night Watchman in the Judicial Department. All the petitioners were admittedly appointed beyond the cut off date fixed for grant of one increment i.e., from 01.04.2003 to 31.12.2005. In other words, the petitioners were appointed after 31.12.2005.

3. In Government Letter dated 29.03.2012, Clarification No.1 stipulates that “the benefit of one increment granted to the individuals is applicable to those appointed between 01.04.2003 to 31.12.2005. Fixing of cut off date has been recognised by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in financial matters and the ratio laid down regarding cut off date by the Apex Court are as follows:

3.1 In the case of Mohammad Ali Imam and others Vs. State of Bihar reported in (2020) 5 Supreme Court Cases 685 held as follows:

“.On the other hand, the learned counsel for the respondents have pointed out that much water flowed after that judgment and inter alia, invited our attention to the ju