Authorities must decide pending pay revision claims in accordance with established circulars within a fixed timeline.

The petitioners, employees under the Panchayat and Rural Development Department, filed three separate writ petitions seeking the implementation of revised pay scales pursuant to Schedule 2 of the Pay Revision Rules, 2009, and a specific circular issued by the Deputy Director of Chhattisgarh State Audit dated 18.10.2024.

Despite the issuance of the circular (Annexure P-1), the petitioners alleged that the benefits had not been extended to them.

Upon inquiry by the Court, the petitioners admitted they had not yet approached the departmental authorities through a formal appeal or representation before filing the writ petitions.

Whether the petitioners are entitled to immediate judicial intervention for the re-calculation of salary and grant of revised pay scales without first exhausting administrative remedies.

The court's decision is grounded in the principle of exhaustion of alternative administrative remedies before invoking extraordinary writ jurisdiction.

It specifically references the Pay Revision Rules, 2009, regarding correct salary calculations.

It also references the administrative instructions contained in Circular No. Annexure P/1 dated 18.10.2024 issued by the State Audit department.

The Court observed that while the petitioners claimed entitlement to revised pay under the 2009 Rules and the 2024 circular, they had bypassed the administrative machinery by failing to file a representation or appeal with the competent authorities.

The State’s counsel suggested that such grievances should first be addressed at the departmental level.

Consequently, the Court determined that rather than adjudicating the merits of the pay revision at this stage, it was appropriate to direct the petitioners to formalize their claims through a comprehensive representation.

This ensures that the executive branch has the first opportunity to apply the Rule of Law (the 2009 Rules) to the specific facts of the petitioners' employment history.

It granted the petitioners liberty to submit a comprehensive representation to Respondents No. 2 (Director, Panchayat) and 3 (Deputy Director, State Audit).

The Court ordered the concerned authorities to consider and decide upon said representation in accordance with the law within a period of three months from the date of receipt of the order.