Jabalpur CAT Gives Ordnance Authorities 60 Days To Decide Staff And Retirees’ ₹5,400 Non-Functional Grade-Pay Claim

The applicants, serving and retired Junior Works Managers, sought non-functional grade pay of ₹5,400 from the date each completed four years of regular service in the grade pay of ₹4,800.

They submitted that their claims were covered by the Tribunal’s order dated 9 November 2023 in O.A. No. 969/2018 and connected matters, and asked the Tribunal to direct the respondents to consider their cases accordingly.

The respondents did not oppose disposal on that basis.

Whether the applicants’ claim for non-functional grade pay of ₹5,400 should be considered in light of the Tribunal’s decision in O.A. No. 969/2018 and connected matters.

Whether the respondents should be directed to determine the applicants’ claims by a reasoned and speaking order within a specified period.

The Tribunal relied on its prior order dated 9 November 2023 in O.A. No. 969/2018 and connected matters as the basis for consideration of the applicants’ claims.

It did not identify or apply any statute or independently determine a substantive rule governing entitlement to the grade pay.

The applicants asserted that their claims were covered by the prior Tribunal decision, and the respondents raised no objection to their request for consideration on that basis.

The Tribunal therefore disposed of the application without deciding whether the applicants were substantively entitled to the higher grade pay.

It treated the O.A. as a representation and required the respondents to assess the claims against the prior decision and give reasons for their determination.

The applicants were directed to provide the competent authority with copies of the Tribunal’s order and the O.A.