Chhattisgarh HC Grants Retired Ayurved Pharmacists And Pharmacists’ Widows ₹2,400 Grade Pay From April 2006

The petitioners—two retired Ayurvedic pharmacists and three widows of deceased Ayurvedic pharmacists—sought the revised pay scale of ₹5,200–20,200 with Grade Pay of ₹2,400, with effect from their respective dates of appointment, together with arrears and interest.

Both sides submitted that the issue had already been decided in Harbansh Lal Kurrey & Ors. v. State of Chhattisgarh & Ors., WPS No. 3775 of 2026 and connected matters, by order dated 31 August 2026.

The Court found the facts and issue in the present petition identical to those matters.

The Court followed its decision dated 31 August 2026 in Harbansh Lal Kurrey and connected matters.

As reproduced in the present order, that decision relied on the Government order dated 22 July 2011, the Supreme Court’s decision in State of Punjab v. Jagjit Singh, and this Court’s decision in WPS No. 3453 of 2013, decided on 2 August 2024. It held that the eligible pharmacists were entitled to the pay scale of ₹5,200–20,200 with Grade Pay of ₹2,400 from 1 April 2006, with consequential service benefits.

The Court noted the parties’ joint submission that the issue had already been determined and found the present case materially identical to the earlier batch of writ petitions.

It therefore declined to take a different view and applied the earlier decision to the petitioners, including its determination of the effective date and consequential benefits.

The respondents were directed to extend the revised pay scale of ₹5,200–20,200 with Grade Pay of ₹2,400 from 1 April 2006, rather than 1 January 2016, with consequential pay fixation and other service benefits, and to complete the exercise within four months of receiving or being produced a copy of that order.