Venkatachalamoorthy appointed PGRC chairman

Madras High Court today appointed Justice A S Venkatachalamoorthy, a former judge of the court, as Chairman of the Pay Grievance Redressal Committee (PGRC) to consider the matter of pay anomaly of government employees.
"As we found illegality in not following the principles of natural justice, before reducing scales of pay, it is necessary that the matter is to be considered afresh by the government after giving opportunity to all concerned, especially for reducing the scale of pay/grade pay," the Division Bench comprising Justices N Paul Vasanthakumar and P Devadass, said.
The judges stated this while disposing a batch of petitions and appeals filed by several associations of state government employees and certain individuals.

The judges said the government appointed PGRC had already decided to reduce payscales of 52 categories of 20 departments, including pensioners and family pensioners, and said it may not be appropriate again to permit them reconsider the issue on recommendations of government officials alone.
The court noted Centre had appointed a retired Supreme Court Judge to head the Fifth and Sixth Central Pay Commissions. It had appointed a retired Judge of Madras High Court to consider the pay anomaly among judicial officers and pensioners at all India level, "it is just and appropriate to appoint a retired judge to head PGRC".

Pursuant to recommendations of Sixth Pay Commission, state government set up a one-man committee on August 20, 2009 to make recommendations for revision of payscale and allowances of its employees and teachers, including local body workers. As per its recommendations, it fixed the revision, which workers objected. PGRC was then re-constituted with three officers, two of IAS rank and another of Additional Secretary rank. A total of 4,376 employees then submitted grievances. The Committee went through them, made suggestions, which workers again objected to.

The contention of the employees affected by reduction of pay scales is they were not heard by the Committee and hence the principles of natural justice is violated.

The court said government should give specific terms of reference to the committee, with a request to submit report/ recommendations to take fresh decision on enhancing or reducing pay scales or grades these categories.
It directed government to constitute the committee in three weeks from date of receipt of the order and fix time limit to submit report and not to implement the G.O., which will affect certain categories till a fresh decision is taken.
If any categories of government servants of any department who had been offered higher payscale as of today, it was open to Government to implement it in so far as pay scales which are beneficial to such employees, the bench said.