IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Date of decision: 01.12.2025 Gurdial Singh and others ......Petitioners Versus State of Punjab and others ......Respondents CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE NAMIT KUMAR Present: - Mr. Vinay Puri, Advocate, for the petitioners.

Mr. Charanpreet Singh, AAG, Punjab.

NAMIT KUMAR, J. (ORAL)

1. Instant petition has been filed by the petitioners, who are retired Inspectors from the office of Director, State Transport, Punjab, under Articles 226/227 of the Constitution of India, seeking a writ of mandamus, directing the respondents to grant the petitioners the pay scale which is equal to the Inspectors of Food and Civil Supplies Department with effect from the date of their appointment/promotion as Inspectors and also to revise their pension accordingly, in view of the judgment passed by this Court in CWP-9175 of 2000 – ‘Daljit Singh and others v. State of Punjab and others’ (Annexure P-4), with all consequential benefits.

2. Brief facts, as have been pleaded in the present petition, are that the petitioners were employees of Punjab Roadways (Department of Transport). Some of the petitioners joined service directly as Inspectors and were promoted to the post of Chief Inspector/Station Supervisor Grade-I whereas others were promoted as Inspectors from the post of Adda Conductor/Sub Inspector on the basis of seniority-cum-merit. The service particulars of the petitioners as given in Annexure P-1 are as under: -

Sr. Name Date of Depot PPO No.

No. retirement

1. Gurdial Singh 30.04.2016 Punjab Roadways, PB/111604 Ropar 7336

2. Kashmir Singh 31.05.2016 Punjab Roadways, PB/111650 Ropar 537

3. Gurcharan 31.03.2012 Punjab Roadways, PB/111200 Singh Ropar 5062 4. Nikku Singh 31.10.2005 Punjab Roadways, Ropar

5. Amarjit Singh 30.06.2020 Punjab Roadways, PB/111210 Nangal 10951

6. Kewal Singh 30.04.2007 Punjab Roadways, PB/205689 Nawanshahr

7. Achhru Ram 31.05.2011 Punjab Roadways, PB/111100 Ludhiana 0148

8. Gurmit Singh 31.12.2007 Punjab Roadways, PB/212637 Ropar

9. Amrik Singh 21.05.2015 Punjab Roadways, PB/111503 Ropar 7348

10. Kuldip Singh 31.05.2008 Punjab Roadways, PB/218069 Ropar

11. Gurdip Singh 21.01.2019 Punjab Roadways, PB/111908 Jalandhar-1 3637

12. Manjit Singh 21.03.2015 Punjab Roadways, PB/111504 Ludhiana 1340

13. Narinder Singh 30.04.2010 Punjab Roadways, PB/240704 Ropar

14. Karam Singh 28.02.2007 Punjab Roadways, PB/204703 Ropar

15. Des Raj 31.12.2018 Punjab Roadways, PB/111808 Nangal 2613

16. Amarjit Singh 30.09.2017 Punjab Roadways, PB/111706 Chandigarh 8814

17. Amarjit Singh 31.01.2017 Punjab Roadways, PB/111705 Chandigarh 9179

18. Dev Raj 30.06.2020 Punjab Roadways, PB/112101 Prior to First Pay Commission, the pay scale of Inspectors of Punjab Roadways was Rs.90-160 and whereas the pay-scale of Inspectors of Food and Civil Supplies Department was that of Rs.80- 150. Subsequently, Inspectors of Punjab Roadways were granted the pay scale of Rs.140-300 vide letter no. 38/11/809FR/I-0112 dated 04.12.1981, whereas the Inspectors of Food and Civil Supplies were granted the pay scale of Rs.140-300 with the selection grade of Rs.160- 400. On recommendation of Second Punjab Pay Commission, the petitioners' category was granted the revised pay scale of Rs.510-940 with the selection grade of 20% of Rs.680-1120, whereas Inspectors of the Food and Civil Supplies Department were granted the pay scale of Rs.570-1080 with selection grade of Rs.700-1200. Thus, the Inspectors of Punjab Roadways who were initially placed in the higher pay scale than that of Inspectors Food and Supply, were subsequently placed in the lower pay scale without assigning any reason and this created a pay anomaly. Further, on recommendation of the Third Pay Commission, the Inspectors of Punjab Roadways were granted the revised pay scale of Rs.1350-2400 which was further revised to Rs.1410-2460 and Rs.1500-2640 w.e.f. 24.05.1991, whereas the Inspectors of Food and Supply Department were placed in the scale of Rs.1500-2640 w.e.f. 01.01.1986 whic