What is the scope of Administrative Tribunals' power to delegate jurisdiction or decide pay-scale disputes in relation to statutory rules? What is the binding effect of statutory pay rules (ROPA Rules) on pay-scale fixation and whether mandamus can compel adherence to or deviation from those rules? What are the courts' and tribunals' roles in accepting or rejecting Pay Commission recommendations and fixing salaries across feeder and parent posts?

Key Points: - The tribunal’s direction to treat OA as a representation and to decide on merits was void ab initio for improper delegation of power (!) . - Administrative Tribunals cannot delegate their jurisdiction to executive authorities or create quasi-judicial bodies outside their statutory scope (!) (!) . - Administrative decisions do not operate as res judicata and cannot bind courts; Chief Engineer’s orders cannot override statutory rules (!) (!) . - Pay scales are fixed under statutory rules (ROPA Rules) framed under Article 309, and courts cannot compel adherence to or deviation from those rules based on tribunal orders (!) (!) . - Mandamus cannot direct the government to act contrary to law or to refrain from enforcing statutory provisions (!) . - Courts should avoid declaring a fixed pay scale and instructing implementation; equation of posts and salaries is for expert bodies and executive discretion (!) . - The judgment sets aside the tribunal and high court orders that conflicted with statutory pay rules and pay commissions recommendations (!) (!) . - The constitutional validity of the statutory pay rules under which pay scales are fixed has not been challenged; government fixes scales per rules and pay commissions recommendations are not binding on the state (!) (!) .

What is the scope of Administrative Tribunals' power to delegate jurisdiction or decide pay-scale disputes in relation to statutory rules?

What is the binding effect of statutory pay rules (ROPA Rules) on pay-scale fixation and whether mandamus can compel adherence to or deviation from those rules?

What are the courts' and tribunals' roles in accepting or rejecting Pay Commission recommendations and fixing salaries across feeder and parent posts?