Good News for West Bengal Contractual Employees Before Puja, High Court Orders Salary Hike
West Bengal Contractual Employees: Just before the Puja festivities, thousands of contractual employees in the state have a reason to cheer. In a landmark judgment, the Calcutta High Court has directed that the salaries of all contractual employees appointed after April 1, 2010, must be increased according to the new pay scale. This order is set to benefit thousands of contractual workers employed in various government departments across the state.
The High Court’s Historic Verdict
The verdict was delivered on Tuesday by a division bench comprising Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Smita Das. The court stated that there can be no salary discrimination among government employees, even if they are appointed on a contractual basis. A single bench had previously given the same verdict. The state government’s appeal challenging that ruling was dismissed by the division bench.
The Long Road of Agitation
In 2011, the state government had issued a notification stating that contractual employees who complete 10 years of service would receive a salary hike. However, the notification also specified that those appointed after April 1, 2010, would not be eligible for this benefit. Subsequently, in 2016 and 2019, the state government issued two more notifications, linking salary hikes to 5, 10, and 15 years of service experience.
However, employees who joined after 2010 were deprived of this benefit. They argued that they too had completed 5-10 years of service and, therefore, their salaries should also be increased according to the new rules. They approached the court with this demand.
The Court’s Observation
In its observation, the court noted that the state government’s 2011 condition would not be applicable in this case. After a lengthy hearing, the division bench dismissed the state’s appeal and ordered that all contractual employees be brought under the purview of the new pay scale.
Employees’ Reaction
The contractual employees of the state are naturally delighted with this High Court verdict. They had been fighting for this salary increase for a long time. The timing of the verdict, just before the Puja, has brought a wave of happiness among them. It is expected that this ruling will provide significant financial relief to thousands of contractual workers in the state.
