Surya Kant, J. - (1.) This order shall dispose of the above-captioned cases as the points in issue in the LPAs preferred by State of Punjab as well as in the connected writ petitions wherein the petitioners are seeking the same relief as has been granted by learned Single Judge to the respondents in the appeal, are identical in nature.
(2.) The first question which requires determination is whether the State of Punjab vide memo dated 15.12.2011 (P-4) removed the anomalies in pay-scales of various posts in Department of Finance or it was merely a case of up gradation/further revision of pay-scale The second issue is whether the respondents or the writ-petitioners in connected cases who are pre-01.01.2006 retirees, are entitled to seek re-fixation of their pension as per the revised/upgraded pay-scale, prospectively from the date of such up gradation in favour of their in-service counterparts
(3.) Before noticing the bare facts required to be referred to for correct appreciation of the controversies, it will be profitable to re-state the settled principle that wherever the competent authority detects an anomaly in pay fixation and decides to remove it, such correctional steps shall relate back to the date when the anomaly had crept in. But where the competent authority decides to further revise or upgrade the existing pay structure, it is within the inherent discretion of the authority to restrict such benefit prospectively or to grant retrospectively from a cut-off date which has some rationality with reference to the object sought to be achieved.;