Chhattisgarh High Court

Shiksha Karmi absorbed into School Education Department cannot claim Kramonnati benefits applicable to regular Government Teachers.

VIVEK DHURWEY vs STATE OF CHHATTISGARH

Chhattisgarh High CourtJUDGMENT: April 28, 20262 MIN READSOURCE JUDGMENT
THE ORIGINAL LAWLENS SUMMARY
01

Facts

The appellants were originally appointed as Shiksha Karmis (Grade-II and III) under the Panchayat Department between 2008 and 2013

Source reference: p. 6, para. 18

Per a state policy dated 30.06.2018, their services were absorbed into the School Education Department as Lecturers (L.B.)

Source reference: p. 6-7, para. 21

The appellants filed a writ petition seeking the benefit of Kramonnati Vetanman (time-bound pay scale) based on a Government Circular dated 10.03.2017, which grants such benefits after 10 and 20 years of service

Source reference: p. 4-5, para. 4

The learned Single Judge dismissed their petition (WPS No. 8881 of 2025) on 24.11.2025

Source reference: p. 3, para. 3

The appellants challenged this dismissal via the present writ appeal.

Source reference: no citation
02

Issues

1. Whether the delay of 48 days in filing the writ appeal should be condoned.

Source reference: p. 3-4, para. 1-2

2. Whether employees absorbed from the Panchayat Department into the School Education Department are entitled to time-bound pay scales under the Circular dated 10.03.2017 by counting their previous service.

Source reference: p. 4, para. 4 / p. 10, para. 29
03

Law Applied

The court primarily applied the State Government Circular dated 10.03.2017, which mandates time-bound pay scales for regular Assistant Teachers of the School Education Department after 10/20 years of service

Source reference: p. 5, para. 17

Chhattisgarh Panchayat Shiksha Karmi (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2007 and the absorption order dated 30.06.2018, specifically Clauses 4 and 5, which stipulate that seniority and benefits for absorbed employees shall be calculated only from the date of absorption (01.07.2018) and no arrears shall be paid for the prior period

Source reference: p. 7, para. 22; p. 9, para. 26

The court further followed the precedent set in Writ Appeal No. 191/2026

Source reference: p. 4, para. 4
04

Reasoning

The Court first condoned the 48-day delay, finding sufficient cause

Source reference: p. 4, para. 2

On merits, the Court reasoned that the 2017 Circular applies exclusively to regular Government servants and not to the Panchayat Cadre

Source reference: p. 6, para. 20

Since the appellants were employees of the Panchayat Department until their absorption in 2018, they did not hold the status of "Government Servants" during the period for which they claimed the benefit

Source reference: p. 6-7, para. 21-22

The Court distinguished the case of Smt. Sona Sahu (WA No. 261/2023), noting it was decided on its "peculiar facts" and did not create a general right for all absorbed teachers to bypass the specific restrictions in the 2018 absorption policy

Source reference: p. 8-9, para. 24-25

The Court emphasized that under the absorption order, service benefits are only prospective from 01.07.2018

Source reference: p. 9, para. 26
05

Holding

The Court dismissed the appeal, holding that the appellants are not entitled to the benefits of the 10.03.2017 Circular as their past service in the Panchayat Department cannot be equated with regular School Education Department service for this purpose

The delay in filing was condoned via I.A. No. 01, but the merits of the appeal were rejected in line with the judgment in WA No. 191/2026

Source reference: p. 11-12, para. 5-6
Chhattisgarh High Court

Original Court PDF

VIVEK DHURWEYvsSTATE OF CHHATTISGARH

Chhattisgarh High Court · April 28, 2026

Click to open original judgment

Original judgment, available to read, download and summarize on LawLens.in

Click to open original judgment