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HIGH COURT OF DELHI
Date of Decision: 01.05.2025
UNION OF INDIA .....Petitioner
Through: Mr.Vineet Dhanda, CGSC
Ms.Medha Haridas, Advs.
Through: Mr.Ramesh Rawat, Adv.
HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE MINI PUSHKARNA NAVIN CHAWLA, J. (ORAL)
JUDGMENT
1. This petition has been filed by the petitioner, challenging the Order dated 17.04.2023 passed by the learned Central Administrative Tribunal, Principal Bench, New Delhi (hereinafter referred to as the ‘learned Tribunal’) in O.A. No. 491/2016 titled Satish Kumar & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors., allowing the O.A. filed by the respondents herein with the following directions:
respondents shall be obliged to issue another order granting them all consequential benefits including but not restricted to promotion/financial upgradation in terms of their entitlement.
12. These directions shall be complied with, including the actual release of the financial benefits, within a period of twelve weeks from the date of receipt of a certified copy of this order. In the event the respondents comply with these directions including the actual release of the financial dues within the stipulated period, the applicants shall not be entitled to interest thereupon.
13. However, in the event of delay, the said payment shall be accompanied by interest payable at the rate applicable on the deposits in GPF for such period till actual payment is released.”
2. The learned counsel for the petitioner, placing reliance on the Office Memorandum dated 07.02.2012, submits that it had been decided by the Directorate of Printing, Ministry of Urban Development, that the cadres of Highly Skilled Workers under the Government of India Presses/ Government of India Textbook Presses/Branch Offices would be split in the ratio of 50:50 in Highly Skilled Workers Grade-II with the Grade Pay of Rs.2400/- (Pay Band PB-I) and Highly Skilled Workers Grade-I with the Grade Pay of Rs.2800/- (Pay Band PB-I). The split shall be based on inter-seseniority of Highly Skilled Workers except Cameramen, and the interse-seniority list shall be maintained press-wise by the Manager/Branch Officer of the GIP concerned. She submits that, therefore, the Grade Pay of Rs.2800/- was to be granted strictly on the basis of the seniority.
3. We are unable to accept the above submission of the learned counsel for the petitioner.
4. The Impugned Order records that the respondents are working as Machine Man Grade-I and Offset Plate Maker Grade-I, which as per the Recruitment Rules, is classified as Highly Skilled Workers Grade-
I. This is not disputed by the learned counsel for the petitioner. As per the O.M. dated 07.02.2012 as well, the Highly Skilled Grade-I Workers were to be granted the Grade Pay of Rs.2800/-.
5. In our view, therefore, the learned Tribunal has rightly granted the said Grade Pay to the respondents. No infirmity can be found in the Impugned Order.
6. The petition alongwith the pending application is, accordingly, dismissed.
NAVIN CHAWLA, J MINI PUSHKARNA, J MAY 1, 2025/sg/ik Click here to check corrigendum, if any