Absorbed Panchayat teachers are ineligible for government time-bound pay scales for pre-absorption service.

The appellants, currently serving as Lecturers and Assistant Teachers (L.B.) in the School Education Department, were originally appointed as Shiksha Karmi Grade-II and Grade-III under the Panchayat Department between 2008 and 2013

Following a State Government policy decision dated 30.06.2018, they were absorbed into the School Education Department effective from 01.07.2018

The appellants sought the benefit of Kramonnati Vetanman (time-bound pay scale) based on a State Government Circular dated 10.03.2017

A learned Single Judge dismissed their writ petition (WPS No. 12346/2025) on 24.11.2025, leading to this intra-court appeal

The Division Bench first condoned a 36-day delay in filing the appeal

1. Whether the appellants, as erstwhile employees of the Panchayat Cadre (Shiksha Karmi), are entitled to the benefit of Kramonnati Vetanman under the Circular dated 10.03.2017 for the service period rendered prior to their absorption into the State Government service?

2. Whether the appellants can claim parity with the relief granted in Smt. Sona Sahu v. State of Chhattisgarh (WA No. 261/2023)?

The Court primarily applied the State Government Circular dated 10.03.2017, which mandates the grant of Kramonnati Vetanman to Assistant Teachers in Government service upon completion of 10 and 20 years of service

It relied on the Chhattisgarh Panchayat Shiksha Karmi (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2007 and the Panchayat Raj Adhiniyam, 1993, which govern the service conditions of Panchayat employees as a distinct cadre from State Government employees

Furthermore, it applied Clauses 4 and 5 of the Absorption Order dated 30.06.2018, which explicitly restrict the entitlement to arrears or financial benefits for any period prior to the absorption date of 01.07.2018

The Court reasoned that the Circular dated 10.03.2017 applies exclusively to regular Government servants and does not extend to the Panchayat Cadre, including Shiksha Karmi

It noted that since the appellants were Panchayat employees until their absorption in 2018, they could not claim the status of Government servants for the purpose of seeking time-bound pay scales under rules applicable to the School Education Department

The Court distinguished the case of Smt. Sona Sahu, noting that her relief was granted based on "peculiar facts" and different circulars (dated 02.11.2011 and 17.05.2013) that did not apply to the appellants' timeline or cadre

Finally, the Court emphasized that the 2018 absorption policy specifically barred claims for past arrears, thus precluding the appellants from seeking retrospective benefits

It held that the appellants, having been part of the Panchayat Cadre at the time the 2017 Circular was issued, were not "similarly situated" to regular Government employees and thus could not claim parity or the benefit of Kramonnati Vetanman for their pre-absorption service

The Court concluded that the impugned order contained no perversity or infirmity and aligned with its previous judgment in Writ Appeal No. 191/2026