Contempt proceedings were discharged after contractual Mali employees were granted Level-1 7th CPC pay parity and consequential benefits.

The applicants were contractual Mali employees engaged in different zones of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

They had earlier obtained directions from the Tribunal in OA No. 3105/2023 dated 28 November 2024, requiring consideration of revision of their salary in Pay Matrix Level-1 of the Seventh Central Pay Commission, together with allowances and consequential benefits, at par with regular counterparts.

Alleging non-compliance with those directions, the applicants instituted Contempt Petition No. 281/2025 against the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

During the contempt proceedings, the respondents submitted that they had issued Office Order dated 7 September 2026 implementing the Tribunal’s directions.

1. Whether the respondents had complied with the directions dated 28 November 2024 passed in OA No. 3105/2023 by issuing the Office Order dated 7 September 2026 granting the contractual Mali employees salary revision in Pay Matrix Level-1 of the Seventh CPC, along with allowances and consequential benefits?

2. Whether the contempt petition should be continued or discharged in view of the stated compliance, subject to the outcome of the pending writ proceedings?

The Tribunal applied the principle that contempt proceedings are concerned with determining whether a binding judicial direction has been complied with.

Where the alleged contemnor demonstrates compliance during the pendency of the contempt petition, the proceedings may be closed or discharged, while preserving the applicant’s liberty to seek revival in the event of subsequent non-compliance.

The Tribunal also clarified that the implementation would remain subject to the outcome of W.P.(C) No. 9541/2025 pending before the Delhi High Court.

The respondents placed on record their Office Order dated 7 September 2026, which purportedly implemented the directions in OA No. 3105/2023 by extending to the contractual Mali employees salary in Pay Matrix Level-1 of the Seventh CPC, together with allowances and consequential benefits at par with regular employees.

On the basis of this stated compliance, the Tribunal found that no further orders were required in the contempt proceedings at that stage.

However, since the implementation was subject to the pending writ petition, the Tribunal preserved the applicants’ right to seek revival if the directions were not actually or fully complied with.

The applicants were granted liberty to seek revival of the contempt petition in accordance with law in the event of non-compliance.

The implementation was expressly made subject to the outcome of W.P.(C) No. 9541/2025 before the Delhi High Court.

All pending miscellaneous applications, if any, were also disposed of, and the notices of contempt stood discharged.