Asif Iqbal Naik
Jammu, Feb 04, 2026:
In a major relief to Junior Engineers of the Power Development Department (PDD), the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Jammu Bench, has allowed Transfer Application No. 2713/2020 and quashed a series of Finance Department circulars and PDD orders through which the applicants had been denied higher pay scale and subjected to recovery proceedings.
The judgment was pronounced on February 4, 2026 by a Bench comprising Hon’ble Mr. Rajinder Singh Dogra, Member (Judicial) and Hon’ble Mr. Ram Mohan Johri, Member (Administrative), after reserving the matter on November 11, 2025. The applicants were represented by Advocate Faheem Shokat Butt, while the respondents were represented by Mr. Hunar Gupta, Deputy Advocate General, and Mr. Rajesh Thappa, Additional Advocate General.
The beneficiaries of the order are Navneet Gupta of Basantgarh (Udhampur), Anil Gupta of Malti Billawar (Kathua), Amit Sethi of Talab Tillo Jammu, Sachin Tickoo of Talab Tillo Jammu, Manish Sharma of Panjtirthi Jammu, Divya Jandial of Bishnah and Nidhi Sharma of Bohri Jammu, all serving as Junior Engineers (Electrical) in the Power Development Department.
The Tribunal set aside Finance Department Circular No. A/HCM(2012)-PMO-49 dated 01.02.2019, followed by Circular No. CE/C&S/J/Acctts/4882-4890 dated 21.02.2019 and Order No. CE/C&S/J/Acctts/4931-40 dated 22.02.2019 issued by the Chief Engineer, Commercial & Survey Wing, PDD. These impugned orders were based on Finance Department clarifications issued vide U.O No. A/24(98)-I-223 dated 11.10.2018 and U.O No. A/80(01)-I-1532 dated 20.12.2012, which had resulted in denial of the entitled pay scale and initiation of recovery of alleged excess payments.
CAT held that the applicants were illegally deprived of the pay scale of Rs. 9300-34800 with Grade Pay Rs. 4260 (pre-revised), corresponding to the pre-revised scale of Rs. 5700-10100, now revised to Level-6D (Rs. 35,800–1,13,200) under the J&K Civil Services (Revised) Pay Rules, 2018 notified vide SRO 193 of 2018 dated 24.04.2018.
The Tribunal also took note of Government Order No. 296-F of 2010 dated 21.12.2010 and SRO 42 of 2011 dated 02.02.2011, which placed Junior Engineers in Pay Band-II with Grade Pay Rs. 4260, as well as Rule 15(g) of SRO 18 of 1998, providing that after completion of eight years of service, Junior Engineers are entitled to placement in the higher revised pay scale.
Quashing the impugned circulars and orders, CAT directed the respondent authorities to grant the applicants all consequential service benefits, including fixation in Level-6D pay scale, continuity of benefits under Rule 15(g) of SRO 18/1998, and to restrain from effecting any recovery on the basis of the annulled orders. The Tribunal further directed that the exercise be completed expeditiously in accordance with rules.
Legal observers stated that the ruling is expected to have wider implications for similarly placed Junior Engineers in the Power Development Department, as the Tribunal reaffirmed that arbitrary administrative interpretations cannot override statutory rules and government orders, and that employees cannot be subjected to discriminatory treatment or unlawful recoveries.
