THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE PULLA KARTHIK W.P.Nos.24101, 23529, 23535, 23557, 23577, 23578, 23600, 23964 and 23965 of 2025

COMMON ORDER:

Since the issue involved in all these writ petitions is one and the same, these writ petitions are heard together and are being disposed of by way of this common order at admission stage.

2. Aggrieved by the action of the respondents in not considering the case of the petitioners for extension of the benefit of payment of Minimum Time Scale of Rs.19,000/- per month plus Dearness Allowance, attached to their posts, duly taking into account their considerable length of service, on par with the regular employees, the present Writ Petitions are filed.

3. Heard Sri Rapolu Bhaskar, learned counsel appearing for the petitioners and learned Government Pleader for Services-III on behalf of the respondents.

4. Learned counsel for the petitioners submits that the petitioners Welfare Boys Hostels of the Respondent Department, have been continuously discharging their duties, for a long time, on par with the regular employees. Therefore, the petitioners are eligible and entitled to receive Minimum Time Scale of pay attached to their respective posts in view of the decision rendered by the Hon’ble Apex Court in State of Punjab v. Jagjit Singh and others, AIR 2016 SC 5176, which enunciated the principle of equal pay for equal work and held that an employee engaged for the same work cannot be paid less than another employee, performing the same duties and responsibilities and thus, are eligible for the Time Scale of Pay attached to the said post. Therefore, learned counsel prays this Court to direct the respondents to grant Minimum Time Scale of pay to the petitioners attached to their posts as per the decision in Jagjit Singh (referred supra).

5. Learned Government Pleader for Services-III appearing for the respondents, on instructions, submits that all the petitioners are Hostel, Suryapet District, and are discharging their duties on par with the regular employees.

6. Having regard to the submissions made by the respective parties and in view of the law laid down by the Hon’ble Apex Court in Jagjit

Singh (referred supra), these writ petitions are disposed of directing the respondents to extend the benefit of payment of Minimum Time Scale attached to the posts as held by the petitioners, strictly in accordance with law, as expeditiously as possible, preferably within a period of six (06) weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order.

Miscellaneous applications, if any, pending in this writ petition stand closed. There shall be no order as to costs.

____________________ PULLA KARTHIK, J Date: 18.08.2025.

mvm/srk