- (1.) THE petitioners are aggrieved by the office order dated 05.12.2011(Annexure -1), whereby the petitioners' pay scale has been reduced to Rs.1200 -2040/ - on the ground that they acquired qualification of training after 31.12.1985.
(2.) THE petitioners' case is that under the UNICEF plan, Science Teachers were to be appointed in Primary Schools to be called as 'Additional Science Teachers'. Accordingly, 2300 units of Science Teachers were created in Non -Scheduled area by letter dated 20.02.1981 and 700 units of Science Teachers were created in Scheduled area. The untrained science teachers were also to be appointed with condition that they will have to take in - service training after their appointment, failing which their services would be terminated. Those teachers will be entitled to get pay scale of a trained teachers with effect from the date of completing training and getting the certificate. The petitioners along with others were appointed as Science Teachers. Their remuneration was fixed on a stipend basis. For Graduate Untrained Teachers, the stipend was fixed at the scale of Rs.680 -965/ - and for Graduate Trained Teachers, at Rs.850 -1360/ - The petitioners were bachelor in Science(B.Sc.) and their scale was (untrained) Rs.680 -965/ -. After their appointment, they were sent for the service training by the respondents. They successfully completed the training. After completion of training, the petitioners became eligible for getting graduate trained scale of pay. For that purpose, a seniority list was prepared by the Distict Superintendent of Education, Singhbhum showing the names entitled to get scale of Rs.1640 - 2900/ -. Accordingly, orders were issued to that effect. Their pay fixation was approved by the competent authority of the department. Subsequently, the recommendation of V Pay Revision was adopted by the State Government. The pay scale was revised. The pay scale of Rs.1640 -2900/ - was replaced by Rs.5500 -9000/ -. The petitioners' pay was fixed in the said revised scale w.e. f. 1.1.1996. Suddenly, by order dated 1.9.1999 issued by the District Superintendent of Education, Singhbhum, the pay scale of science graduate teachers given to the petitioners was cancelled. Aggrieved by the said order, the petitioners and other filed writ application C.W.J.C. no.2990 of 1999(R). In the said writ application, while issuing notice to the respondents, interim order was passed staying the operation of the impugned order. The petitioners continued to get salary on the said scale. In the meantime, the State Government adopted the recommendation of VI Pay Revision and the petitioner's pay was revised and their pay scale was replaced by Rs.9300 - 34800/ - in Pay Band(PB -II). The writ application filed by the petitioners was disposed of by order dated 30.04.2009 allowing the petitioners to file representation before the appropriate Forum. The petitioners and others filed representations. The representations were placed before the District Education Establishment Committee in the meeting held on 14.05.2010. The said Committee decided to constitute a Screening Committee. The Screening Committee recommended for canceling the trained graduate scale of such candidates, who acquired training after 31.12.1985. The District Education Establishment Committee accepted the said recommendation in its meeting dated 17.11.2011. The respondent no.7 on the basis of the said resolution directed the Headmasters of the Schools to implement the said order and to fix pay scale in the light of the order dated 5.12.2011(Annexure -1).
(3.) THE said order dated 5.12.2011(Annexure -1) has been assailed by the petitioners on the ground that the same has been passed without taking into consideration that the petitioners were already trained and their pay scale was fixed by the competent authority. According to their qualification, the petitioners have acquired in - service training and are entitled to get trained graduate pay scale from the date of acquisition of the training certificate. The impugned order is wholly arbitrary and illegal. Any order, which has effect of reduction of pay scale, cannot be implemented with retrospective effect.;