Revised Pay Is Notional from 1 January 1996, with Monetary Benefits from 21 April 2004.

The applicants, employees of the Central Excise and Customs Department who had served in the posts of Inspector/Examiner/Preventive Officer and Superintendent/Appraiser, sought the revised pay scales of ₹6,500–10,500 and ₹7,500–12,000, respectively, with effect from 1 January 1996.

The applicants contended that the revised scales had been extended only from 21 April 2004, notwithstanding decisions granting relief to similarly situated employees.

The applicants relied, among other decisions, on the Hyderabad Bench’s order in O.A. No. 1089/2019 and related cases, which had been upheld by the Telangana High Court and the Supreme Court, and on earlier orders of the Jaipur Bench and the Chennai Bench.

The Tribunal heard the connected applications together and considered whether the applicants were entitled to notional pay fixation from 1 January 1996 and monetary benefits from that date or only from 21 April 2004.

Whether the applicants were entitled to fixation of the revised pay scales from 1 January 1996 on a notional basis.

Whether consequential monetary benefits were payable from 1 January 1996 or only from 21 April 2004.

The Tribunal applied the Central Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 1997, as the basis for refixing the applicants’ pay.

It treated as governing the issue the Hyderabad Bench’s decision directing notional fixation from 1 January 1996 and actual monetary benefits from 21 April 2004, which had been affirmed by the Telangana High Court and upheld by the Supreme Court.

It also noted the Jaipur Bench’s decision, upheld by the Rajasthan High Court and affirmed by the Supreme Court, and earlier Chennai Bench orders that had been implemented by the Department.

The Tribunal considered the entitlement issue to be settled by the prior decisions concerning the same pay-scale dispute.

In particular, it relied on the Hyderabad Bench decision, affirmed by the High Court and Supreme Court, which distinguished between notional fixation from 1 January 1996 and actual monetary benefits from 21 April 2004.

It also noted that comparable Chennai Bench orders had been allowed and implemented.

Applying that approach to the applicants, the Tribunal set aside the impugned orders and directed refixation under the 1997 Rules on the same notional-and-actual basis.

It directed the respondents to refix their pay and grant consequential benefits, including pensionary benefits, within two months of receiving a copy of the order.

The applications were disposed of at the admission stage.