{"id":182002,"date":"2010-07-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2010-07-07T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/union-of-india-ors-vs-jagdish-pandey-ors-on-8-july-2010"},"modified":"2015-05-24T02:51:10","modified_gmt":"2015-05-23T21:21:10","slug":"union-of-india-ors-vs-jagdish-pandey-ors-on-8-july-2010","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/union-of-india-ors-vs-jagdish-pandey-ors-on-8-july-2010","title":{"rendered":"Union Of India &amp; Ors vs Jagdish Pandey &amp; Ors on 8 July, 2010"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"docsource_main\">Supreme Court of India<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_title\">Union Of India &amp; Ors vs Jagdish Pandey &amp; Ors on 8 July, 2010<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_author\">Author: S Kumar<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_bench\">Bench: B.S. Chauhan, Swatanter Kumar<\/div>\n<pre>                         IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA\n\n               CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION\n\n\n               CIVIL APPEAL No. 365 OF 2007\n\n\nUnion of India &amp; Ors.               ....Petitioners\n\n\n\n\n                         Versus\n\n\nJagdish Pandey &amp; Ors.              ...Respondents\n\n\n\n                        JUDGMENT\n<\/pre>\n<p>Swatanter Kumar, J.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>1.   The Union of India being aggrieved from the judgment<\/p>\n<p>and order of a Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court<\/p>\n<p>dated 2nd March, 2005 dismissing, the Writ Petition filed by<\/p>\n<p>the Union of India against the order of the Central<\/p>\n<p>Administrative Tribunal, Calcutta, (hereinafter referred to<\/p>\n<p>as `the Tribunal&#8217;) dated 18th January, 2002, has filed the<\/p>\n<p>present    appeal under Article 136 of the Constitution of<\/p>\n<p>India.    The Tribunal vide its judgment had allowed the<\/p>\n<p>application filed by the respondents herein and had set<\/p>\n<p>aside the order dated 22nd February, 2001 issued by the<\/p>\n<p>Union of India.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>2.   The facts giving rise to the present appeals are that<\/p>\n<p>the respondents are\/were working as Tower Wagon Drivers<\/p>\n<p>(for short `TWD&#8217;) under the Eastern Railways.    They were<\/p>\n<p>promoted to the said post between the period 1979-1981.<\/p>\n<p>These respondents claimed running allowance @ 120 k.m.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                             2<\/span><br \/>\nper day while on duty in terms of para 3.12 of the New<\/p>\n<p>Running Allowance Rules &#8211; structuring of the cadre. This<\/p>\n<p>was not paid to them resulting in the filing of a Writ Petition<\/p>\n<p>by them before the High Court of Calcutta.           This Writ<\/p>\n<p>Petition was allowed by the High Court and the Eastern<\/p>\n<p>Railways were directed to pay `running allowance&#8217; to the<\/p>\n<p>respondents. It may be noticed that while disposing of that<\/p>\n<p>Writ Petition being Civil Petition No. 4143 of 1988 and C.O.<\/p>\n<p>No. 1812 (W) of 1984 the Court passed the following Order:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>          &#8220;After hearing the Learned Advocates<br \/>\n          and considering their submissions, we<br \/>\n          feel that a happy solution has been<\/p>\n<p>          arrived at.   We thus, after bearing<br \/>\n          them direct that with four months<br \/>\n          from today, the petitioners will be paid<br \/>\n          at the rate of 120 kilo meter per day<br \/>\n          while on duty in terms of paragraph<br \/>\n          3.12 of the New Running Allowance<br \/>\n          Rules &#8211; structuring of cadre. We also<br \/>\n          keep it on record that while making<br \/>\n          such payment, authorities will be able<br \/>\n          and entitled to adjust the amount,<br \/>\n          which has already been received by the<br \/>\n          employees concerned on the basis of<br \/>\n          the works, which they have done. The<br \/>\n          time, we directed, was suggested by<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                               3<\/span><br \/>\n          Mr. Chakrabarty on instructions from<br \/>\n          Mr. C.B. Chowdhury, Deputy Chief<br \/>\n          Electrical Engineer, Eastern Railway,<br \/>\n          who was present in Court.&#8221;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>3.   After this allowance had been paid to the respondents,<\/p>\n<p>the Eastern Railways passed an order dated 22nd February,<\/p>\n<p>2001 stating that they were granted higher pay scales<\/p>\n<p>inadvertently and the said scale is withdrawn as well as for<\/p>\n<p>recovery of amounts paid in excess of the amounts which<\/p>\n<p>ought to have been paid to the respondents in the lower<\/p>\n<p>scale. The correctness of this order was questioned by the<\/p>\n<p>respondents before the Tribunal, submitting that they were<\/p>\n<p>granted the pay scale of Goods Driver vide IVth Pay<\/p>\n<p>Commission w.e.f. 1.1.1986.       They continued to draw the<\/p>\n<p>prescribed pay scale which was subsequently revised to<\/p>\n<p>Rs.5,000 &#8211; 8,000\/- w.e.f. 1.1.1996 in terms of Vth Pay<\/p>\n<p>Commission. The order was arbitrary as the function and<\/p>\n<p>duties of the TWDs were similar to that of the Goods Driver<\/p>\n<p>and these posts were treated to be inter-changeable by the<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                              4<\/span><br \/>\ndepartment which passed such orders of transfer from time<\/p>\n<p>to time.   Thus, they prayed that they be permitted to<\/p>\n<p>withdraw the same pay scale.          This application was<\/p>\n<p>contested by Eastern Railways on behalf of the Union of<\/p>\n<p>India and it was stated that the scale was granted by<\/p>\n<p>inadvertent error and they are not entitled to the pay scale<\/p>\n<p>of Rs.1350-2200\/- w.e.f. 1.1.1986 and also that they are<\/p>\n<p>not equivalent to the Goods Drivers.       The matter was<\/p>\n<p>examined at some length by the Tribunal. It was noticed<\/p>\n<p>that vide Annexure `E&#8217; to that application dated 15th April,<\/p>\n<p>1993, the Eastern Railways itself has stated that all TWDs<\/p>\n<p>should be given the grade of Goods Drivers i.e. Rs.1350-<\/p>\n<p>2200\/- (unrevised). There is no Railway Board&#8217;s circular or<\/p>\n<p>order directing that TWDs are not entitled to the pay scale<\/p>\n<p>of the Goods Drivers and they are not justified in taking<\/p>\n<p>decision to grant lower pay scales.   The respondents had<\/p>\n<p>also relied upon the judgment of this Court in the case of<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\/doc\/1915563\/\">Chandraprakash Madhavrao Dadwa v. Union of India,<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                             5<\/span><br \/>\n[(1998) 8 SCC 154] and <a href=\"\/doc\/1993685\/\">Shyam Babu Verma v. Union of<\/p>\n<p>India,<\/a> [(1994) 27 ATC 121].\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>4.   Referring to the pleadings of the parties and the record<\/p>\n<p>available before the Tribunal, the Tribunal did not accept<\/p>\n<p>the contention of the Eastern Railways that it was by<\/p>\n<p>mistake that higher pay scale was given to the respondents<\/p>\n<p>as they were getting the same pay scales right from the year<\/p>\n<p>1959.   The Railways had hardly produced any records<\/p>\n<p>before the Tribunal to justify its decision in down grading<\/p>\n<p>the pay scale of the respondents and directing the<\/p>\n<p>consequential recoveries.     It will be useful to refer to<\/p>\n<p>reasoning given by the Tribunal at this stage itself:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>          &#8220;12 In view of the clear averments<br \/>\n          made in the OA, which have not been<br \/>\n          specifically     rebutted     by     the<br \/>\n          respondents, as already stated above,<br \/>\n          and in view of the Railway Board&#8217;s<br \/>\n          letter issued in implementation of the<br \/>\n          Calcutta High Court&#8217;s order, by which<br \/>\n          the Tower Wagon Drivers were placed<br \/>\n          in the category of Goods Drivers for all<br \/>\n          purposes,     the     applicants   were<br \/>\n          certainly entitled to have the salary in<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                               6<\/span><br \/>\nthe pay scale of Rs.1350-2200\/- w.e.f.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>1.1.1986 and as a matter of fact, they<br \/>\nhave been paid salary in the same pay<br \/>\nscale till the impugned order was<br \/>\nissued.\n<\/p>\n<p>13. It may also be pointed out that<br \/>\npursuant to the acceptance of the 5th<br \/>\nPay Commission Report by the<br \/>\nGovernment, the Tower Wagon Drivers<br \/>\nwere given the salary in the pay scale<br \/>\nof Rs.8000-8000\/- w.e.f. 1.1.1996. In<br \/>\nthe letter dated 15.4.1993 (Annexure<br \/>\nE),    the    Sr.    DLD\/TRD\/Sealdah,<br \/>\nintimated to the Sr. DPC\/Sealdah that<br \/>\nin Sealdah Division, out of 32 Tower<br \/>\nWagon Drivers, 24 Tower Wagon<br \/>\nDrivers were getting the pay scale of<br \/>\nRs.1350-2200\/- and the remaining 8<br \/>\nTower Wagon Drivers were getting the<br \/>\npay scale of Rs.1320-2040\/- and<br \/>\naccording to him, all the Tower Van<br \/>\nDrivers may be given the uniform pay<br \/>\nscale of Rs.1350-2200\/-.        It seems<br \/>\nthat two different pay scales for Tower<br \/>\nVan Drivers were prescribed because<br \/>\nof the fact that prior to 1986, there<br \/>\nwere two different pay scales at the<br \/>\nratio of 60% and 40% for Goods<br \/>\nDrivers as mentioned above. Be that<br \/>\nas it may, it is evident that in Sealdah<br \/>\nDivision also, the Tower Wagon Drivers<br \/>\nwere given the pay scale of Rs.1350-\n<\/p>\n<p>2200\/- w.e.f 1.1.1986. It is different<br \/>\nthing that the order of giving pay scale<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                   7<\/span><br \/>\nof Rs.1350-2200\/- was withdrawn by<br \/>\nthe respondents after filing of this O.A.<\/p>\n<p>14.     It is not understood on what<br \/>\nbasis, the respondents decided to<br \/>\ndiscontinue to pay the salary to the<br \/>\nTower Wagon Drivers in the pay scale<br \/>\nof Rs.1350-2200\/-. There could be a<br \/>\nsituation if the Tower Wagon Drivers<br \/>\nwere not considered as part of the<br \/>\n&#8220;Running Staff&#8221; and, therefore, their<br \/>\nservice conditions would be different.<br \/>\nOnce they have been treated as part of<br \/>\nthe &#8220;Running Staff&#8221; and they are also<br \/>\nperforming the job of driving the Tower<br \/>\nVans\/Wagons, there cannot be any<br \/>\njustification not to treat them at par<br \/>\nwith the lower grade of Goods Drivers<br \/>\nin the railway.\n<\/p>\n<p>15.   It is not the case where the<br \/>\nrespondents claim that the pay scale of<br \/>\nthe Tower Wagon Drivers has been re-\n<\/p>\n<p>fixed on the basis of some Expert<br \/>\nCommittee Report. It is obvious that<br \/>\nthe pay scale of Rs.1350-2200\/- was<br \/>\ngiven to the applicants on the basis of<br \/>\nsome Expert Committee Report. It is<br \/>\nobvious that the pay scale of Rs.1350-\n<\/p>\n<p>2200\/- was given to the applicants on<br \/>\nthe basis of the decision that they were<br \/>\nat par with the Goods Drivers. Now if<br \/>\nthe respondents seek to place the<br \/>\napplicants in the lower pay scale, the<br \/>\nburden lies on them to show the basis<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                    8<\/span><br \/>\n          of taking such decision adverse to the<br \/>\n          interest of Tower Wagon Drivers.&#8221;\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>5.   As already noticed, the challenge to the above order<\/p>\n<p>was not accepted by the High Court and both the issues<\/p>\n<p>raised before the High Court, namely that the case of the<\/p>\n<p>Railway was not considered properly by the Tribunal on<\/p>\n<p>merits and secondly, it had no jurisdiction to examine the<\/p>\n<p>said circular as the order was passed by the Divisional<\/p>\n<p>Railway Manager outside the jurisdiction of the Tribunal<\/p>\n<p>were rejected and while upholding the order of the Tribunal,<\/p>\n<p>the High Court of Calcutta held as under:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>          &#8220;Considering the aforesaid, it is<br \/>\n          apparent that at all relevant time<br \/>\n          Tower Wagon Drivers are being treated<br \/>\n          as equivalent to Goods Train Drivers.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>          There is no reason shown for treating<br \/>\n          them now differently. Contention of<br \/>\n          authorities refusing to treat the Tower<br \/>\n          Wagon Drivers equivalent to driver of<br \/>\n          Goods Train, cannot be accepted. If<br \/>\n          the    Tower    Wagon     Drivers    are<br \/>\n          continuously being treated as running<br \/>\n          staff and equivalent to drivers of goods<br \/>\n          trains; drivers there is no reason<br \/>\n          shown for which Tower Wagon Drivers<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                             9<\/span><br \/>\n          cannot be refused to be treated as<br \/>\n          equivalent to the same grade as earlier<br \/>\n          was being done for a long period. The<br \/>\n          impugned judgments have dealt with<br \/>\n          the relevant aspects appropriately and<br \/>\n          there is no reason to interfere with the<br \/>\n          same.&#8221;\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>6.     The above decision of the High Court is impugned in<\/p>\n<p>the present appeal.    The basic contention raised on behalf<\/p>\n<p>of the Union of India before this Court is that the job,<\/p>\n<p>duties, responsibilities and even essential training required<\/p>\n<p>for TWDs are not comparable to those of the good train<\/p>\n<p>drivers. In addition, the contention is also that the scales<\/p>\n<p>were granted inadvertently and         now the competent<\/p>\n<p>authority, after due application of mind, has passed the<\/p>\n<p>order granting lower scales to the TWDs in comparison to<\/p>\n<p>goods train drivers.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>7.   In order to examine the merits of these contentions,<\/p>\n<p>which obviously are disputed by the respondents, it will be<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                             10<\/span><br \/>\nappropriate to refer to the order impugned itself which<\/p>\n<p>reads as under:\n<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>                     &#8220;Eastern Railway<br \/>\n            Estt. Office Order No. 199\/02\/Misc.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>             C of 2001               (22.02.01)<\/p>\n<p>          With the approval of the competent<br \/>\n          authority the following order are<br \/>\n          issued to have immediate effect &#8211;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>               The pay of the following T.W.<br \/>\n          Drivers of Dhanbad Division was fixed<br \/>\n          in scale S. 1350-2900 (RP) w.e.f.<br \/>\n          01.01.1996 in IVth PC in the scale Rs.<br \/>\n          1350-2200\/- (R.P.) and scale Rs.<br \/>\n          5000-8000\/- (RSRP) erroneously for<br \/>\n          which they were not entitled.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>               As such their pay scale is revised<br \/>\n          to    S.1320-2040     (RSRP)      w.e.f.<br \/>\n          01.01.1986 in IV P.C. and Rs. 4500-<br \/>\n          7000\/- (RSRP) w.e.f. 01.01.1996 in<br \/>\n          Vth P.C.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>           xxx             xxx              xxx<\/p>\n<p>          The staff concerned        should       be<br \/>\n          intimated accordingly&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>8.         The respondents in the present appeal had<\/p>\n<p>challenged the validity of the above order before the<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                             11<\/span><br \/>\nTribunal on various grounds including that they have<\/p>\n<p>always been placed at parity with the goods driver, they<\/p>\n<p>have been given similar scales and there was no reason,<\/p>\n<p>whatsoever, for altering the pay scale to the prejudice of the<\/p>\n<p>respondents, which was in force for a considerable time. It<\/p>\n<p>will be useful for us to notice the findings recorded by the<\/p>\n<p>Tribunal.    In paragraph 8 of its judgment the Tribunal<\/p>\n<p>noticed that both the parties have not placed on record any<\/p>\n<p>material to indicate as to what was the pay scale provided<\/p>\n<p>for the TWDs pursuant to the various Pay Commission<\/p>\n<p>Reports. The Tribunal specifically noticed and recorded the<\/p>\n<p>finding that for the last 40 years, i.e. right from 1959 the<\/p>\n<p>respondents were being paid the same pay scale as goods<\/p>\n<p>drivers.    There was no disparity of pay scales between<\/p>\n<p>TWDs and goods drivers after Union of India and Railways<\/p>\n<p>had accepted recommendations of the IInd, IIIrd, IVth and<\/p>\n<p>even of     Vth   Pay Commissions.       The Tribunal also<\/p>\n<p>specifically noticed vague denials of the Union of India and<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                              12<\/span><br \/>\nthat such denials were hardly substantiated by any cogent<\/p>\n<p>material.   Reliance was placed upon the judgment of the<\/p>\n<p>Calcutta High Court in relation to the grant of running<\/p>\n<p>allowance. In that Writ Petition, the only dispute raised by<\/p>\n<p>the parties related to the grant of running allowance and<\/p>\n<p>the Union of India did not raise the issue of disparity in pay<\/p>\n<p>scale.   This order of the High Court had attained finality.<\/p>\n<p>We have already referred to the findings recorded by the<\/p>\n<p>Tribunal    where    it   is   specifically   noticed   that    after<\/p>\n<p>acceptance    of    Vth   Pay    Commission      Report    by    the<\/p>\n<p>Government, TWDs were given the salary in the pay scale of<\/p>\n<p>Rs. 5000-8000 w.e.f. 1.1.1996 and in the letter dated<\/p>\n<p>15.4.1993 the concerned authorities noticed the disparity<\/p>\n<p>created even between the TWDs i.e. in Sealdah division out<\/p>\n<p>of 32 TWDs, 24 were getting pay scale of Rs. 1350-2200<\/p>\n<p>(unrevised) and remaining 8 were getting the pay scale of<\/p>\n<p>Rs. 1320-2040 and it directed a uniform pay scale of Rs.<\/p>\n<p>1350-2200 should be given to all the TWDs.                Another<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                 13<\/span><br \/>\nreason that weighed with the Tribunal was that no material<\/p>\n<p>has been produced to show as to what were the reasons or<\/p>\n<p>material on the basis of which the authorities had decided<\/p>\n<p>to discontinue the pay scale of Rs. 1350-2200 to these<\/p>\n<p>respondents. The above reasoning and discussion in the<\/p>\n<p>order of the Tribunal clearly shows that the action on the<\/p>\n<p>face of it was arbitrary.   This order of the Tribunal was<\/p>\n<p>confirmed by the High Court and the respondents made no<\/p>\n<p>effort to place anything on record to show that they were<\/p>\n<p>different and distinct classes and were entitled to receive<\/p>\n<p>different pay scales.   Even in the order dated 9th August,<\/p>\n<p>2002 the Tribunal specifically noticed that it was not even<\/p>\n<p>averted that eligibility criteria for the post of TWDs was<\/p>\n<p>different than that for the goods driver and their duties<\/p>\n<p>were substantially different. In other words, either before<\/p>\n<p>the Tribunal or before the High Court the Union of India<\/p>\n<p>never pleaded the essential basis for justifying payment of<\/p>\n<p>different pay scales to two categories of drivers i.e. TWDs<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                              14<\/span><br \/>\non the one hand and goods train drivers        on the other.<\/p>\n<p>There has to be a substantial difference in method of<\/p>\n<p>recruitment, eligibility, duties and responsibilities before<\/p>\n<p>substantial disparity in scale can be justified.   As far as<\/p>\n<p>recording of finding of facts is concerned, factual disputes<\/p>\n<p>can hardly be raised before this Court and in any case for<\/p>\n<p>the first time. Despite this the Union of India has failed to<\/p>\n<p>place any material to substantiate its decision before the<\/p>\n<p>Forum\/Courts.     The judgment of the Calcutta High Court,<\/p>\n<p>in relation to running allowances, has attained finality. At<\/p>\n<p>that time no other issue was raised by Union of India that<\/p>\n<p>they are different and distinct posts with different pay<\/p>\n<p>scales and as such identical running allowances could not<\/p>\n<p>be paid. In fact, the judgment of the Calcutta High Court<\/p>\n<p>has duly been implemented now for years together without<\/p>\n<p>objection.   Not only this, same pay scale as that of the<\/p>\n<p>goods train driver has been paid to these respondents for<\/p>\n<p>years and there appears to be no justification on record for<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                             15<\/span><br \/>\nunilateral withdrawal of such a scale.           Pay scale is a<\/p>\n<p>legitimate right of an employee and except for valid and<\/p>\n<p>proper reasons it cannot be varied, that only in accordance<\/p>\n<p>with law. None of these justifiable reasons exist in the<\/p>\n<p>present case. The impugned order itself does not give any<\/p>\n<p>reason. The expression `erroneously&#8217; used in the order can<\/p>\n<p>hardly justify withdrawal of such an existing right.<\/p>\n<p>9.   We   may    also   notice    that   the   respondents   had<\/p>\n<p>specifically pleaded and even placed on record certain<\/p>\n<p>orders in which in certain divisions the post of TWD is<\/p>\n<p>inter-changeable with goods driver. Orders have also been<\/p>\n<p>placed on record to show that in different divisions TWDs<\/p>\n<p>are getting different scales and the Railway Board, as such,<\/p>\n<p>has not passed any final order which is uniformly<\/p>\n<p>applicable to all the divisions of the Railways in India. Of<\/p>\n<p>course, this has been disputed by the appellants.            The<\/p>\n<p>appellants have also attempted to file         certain documents<\/p>\n<p>on record to show that the duties of both these posts are<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                 16<\/span><br \/>\ndifferent and even recruitment criteria is different.            We are<\/p>\n<p>afraid that this contention cannot be raised for the first<\/p>\n<p>time before this Court. This was expected of the Union of<\/p>\n<p>India to raise all these issues before the appropriate forum<\/p>\n<p>i.e.    the Tribunal and justify the same.         Even before us,<\/p>\n<p>these averments have been made without any supporting<\/p>\n<p>data or documents to substantiate such a plea.                          No<\/p>\n<p>comparative chart of the duties and responsibilities of these<\/p>\n<p>two     posts,   recruitment    rules     specifying      eligibility   or<\/p>\n<p>selection criteria and working conditions have been placed<\/p>\n<p>on record. The vague averments made to that effect cannot<\/p>\n<p>persuade this Court to disturb the concurrent findings<\/p>\n<p>recorded by the Tribunal as well as by the High Court.<\/p>\n<p>10.     It is a well settled rule that parties are expected to<\/p>\n<p>raise    specific   pleadings    before     the   first     forum       for<\/p>\n<p>adjudication of the dispute. Those pleadings are the basis<\/p>\n<p>of the case of the respective parties even before the<\/p>\n<p>appellate\/higher Courts.        The parties would be bound by<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                 17<\/span><br \/>\nsuch    pleadings,    of   course,     subject   to   the    right   of<\/p>\n<p>amendment allowed in accordance with law. In the present<\/p>\n<p>case, no such amendment has been carried out even before<\/p>\n<p>the High Court and it will be unfair for this Court to get into<\/p>\n<p>the controversy of factual matrix of the case at this stage of<\/p>\n<p>the    proceedings,    particularly,    when     there      exists   no<\/p>\n<p>justification whatsoever on record as to why even these<\/p>\n<p>averments were not made before the Tribunal and not even<\/p>\n<p>before the High Court, despite the fact that the Tribunal<\/p>\n<p>had specifically made comments in this regard in its<\/p>\n<p>judgment.     Even before this Court but for bald averments<\/p>\n<p>no documents, data or cogent material has been placed for<\/p>\n<p>appropriate adjudication of the rights of the parties.<\/p>\n<p>11.    During the course of arguments this was also brought<\/p>\n<p>to our notice that most of the respondents in the present<\/p>\n<p>appeal have already retired from service and there exist no<\/p>\n<p>justification for affecting any recoveries from their salaries<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                18<\/span><br \/>\nas they have already worked and received their salaries as<\/p>\n<p>granted by the Union of India itself.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>12.   For the reasons afore stated, we find no legal infirmity<\/p>\n<p>in the judgments of the Tribunal and the High Court. While<\/p>\n<p>dismissing this appeal we make it clear that this judgment<\/p>\n<p>will not affect the right of Union of India to pass an<\/p>\n<p>appropriate order in relation to the pay scales applicable to<\/p>\n<p>any class of its employees including the respondents afresh<\/p>\n<p>and    in accordance with law. We do hope that if such an<\/p>\n<p>order is passed    it will   be    upon   proper      application of<\/p>\n<p>mind and after taking into consideration appropriate<\/p>\n<p>material and\/or data.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>13.   The appeal is dismissed leaving the parties to bear<\/p>\n<p>their own costs.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>                                          &#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;..J.<br \/>\n                                          [ DR. B.S. CHAUHAN ]<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                  19<\/span><br \/>\n                         &#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;J.\n<\/p>\n<p>                      [ SWATANTER KUMAR ]<br \/>\nNew Delhi<br \/>\nJuly 08, 2010.\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                 20<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Supreme Court of India Union Of India &amp; Ors vs Jagdish Pandey &amp; Ors on 8 July, 2010 Author: S Kumar Bench: B.S. Chauhan, Swatanter Kumar IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CIVIL APPEAL No. 365 OF 2007 Union of India &amp; Ors. &#8230;.Petitioners Versus Jagdish Pandey &amp; Ors. &#8230;Respondents JUDGMENT Swatanter [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-182002","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-supreme-court-of-india"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Union Of India &amp; Ors vs Jagdish Pandey &amp; Ors on 8 July, 2010 - Free Judgements of Supreme Court &amp; High Court | Legal India<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/union-of-india-ors-vs-jagdish-pandey-ors-on-8-july-2010\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Union Of India &amp; 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