Madras High Court has granted an interim stay on the State Finance Department's August 22 2014 order, restricting the pay band of vocational instructors in government educational institutions.
Justice M M Sundresh before whom the petition by seven vocational Instructors of Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam Districts came up for hearing yesterday, also issued notices to officials of the Education and Finance Departments, returnable by eight weeks.
The petitioners contended that as per the government appointed one man commission's report in 2010, they were to be included in the payscale on par with BT (Bachelor of Teaching) Assistants and entitled to selection grade pay of Rs 5,400.
They alleged that they were denied this on account of a January 12, 2011 Government Order, which did not include them. They also contended that unlike the BT assistants, they had no promotional avenues and hence those in the selection grade are entitled to the selection grade pay of Rs 5,400.
The petitioners said the Finance Department first issued a letter on November 8, 2010, stating that since vocational instructors are in the non promotional cadre, their pay should be Rs 15600-39100+5400.
But the department issued another letter on Aug 22 2014 restricting their pay band to Rs 9300-34800+Rs.4800, ignoring the fact that they are in the non-promotional cadre and squarely come within the scope of the rules framed in the earlier letter, the petitioners said.
They then moved court, challenging the reduced pay scale, saying it was erroneous in law.
The petitioners sought a direction to quash the reduction and re-fix the payscale as per the Aug 22 2014 letter and also direct Headmasters of relevant Institutions to recover the different scale of pay and allowances already paid to them.
They also sought an interim stay on the Aug 22 2014 order reducing and re fixing the scale of pay and recovery.
