The Chhattisgarh High Court has dismissed writ appeals filed by Shiksha Karmis, ruling that they cannot claim time-bound pay scales or Kramonnati Vetanman applicable to regular state government teachers for the period before their absorption in 2018.
The court emphasized a clear legal distinction between panchayat employees and state government employees, holding that parity cannot be claimed unless the employees are similarly situated. The bench further noted that the absorption policy explicitly bars arrears for the pre-2018 period, making the petitioners' claims legally untenable. Finding no infirmity in the single judge's order, the court ruled the appeal devoid of merit and upheld its dismissal.
Background of the Case
The petitioners are primary school headmasters and teachers who had sought benefits of a time-bound pay scale. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal on April 20 ruled that the petitioners, originally appointed under the panchayat cadre, cannot claim parity with regular state government employees for the period before their absorption into the School Education Department.
The appellants, including Mangal Ram Usendi, Ram Uike, and others posted in various schools in the Antagarh block of North Bastar Kanker, had challenged a Single Judge order dated November 24, 2025. The earlier order had dismissed their writ petition which sought the benefit of Kramonnati Vetanman (time-bound pay scale) under a state circular dated March 10, 2017.
Appointment and Service Conditions
The petitioners were appointed as Shiksha Karmi Grade-II and Grade-III between 1998 and 2008 by the Janpad and Zila Panchayats. While they served in government schools, they remained employees of the Panchayat Department until the state government took a policy decision to absorb them into the School Education Department on June 30, 2018.
The bone of contention was whether their service prior to 2018 qualified them for the first and second time-bound pay scales, which are typically granted after 10 and 20 years of service respectively.
Court's Observations
The bench noted that the 2017 circular specifically applied to regular government servants and did not extend benefits to the Panchayat cadre. The court clarified the distinction:
- Before their absorption in 2018, the petitioners' appointment and service conditions were governed by the Chhattisgarh Panchayat Shiksha Karmi Rules and not by the rules applicable to state government employees.
- The absorption order itself restricted the grant of any arrears prior to July 1, 2018.
The bench also rejected the appellants' attempt to claim parity with a previous case (Sona Sahu vs State of Chhattisgarh), stating that the facts in that matter were peculiar and did not apply to the current set of petitioners.
Final Ruling
The division bench found no infirmity in the Single Judge's decision, noting that the petitioners failed to demonstrate they were similarly situated to those receiving the benefits. "In view of the clear distinction between state government employees and Panchayat cadre employees, the petitioners cannot derive any benefit from the circulars which apply solely to government servants," the bench observed while dismissing the appeal.
