Three years after his death, the family of a Masalchi (basic servant), who was drawing a meagre salary of Rs. 620 a month till his retirement, has got relief, with the Madras High Court directing the authorities to regularise his services from January 2006 with time-scale pay.
The salary arrears from January 2006 till his retirement in March 2010 should also be paid, after adjusting the consolidated salary already paid to him.
A Division Bench of Justices N. Paul Vasanthakumar and M. Sathyanarayanan said the authorities should pay pension by counting 50 per cent of service from October 1986 to May 2005, along with the regular service from 2006 and pay the pension arrears and family pension. The order should be implemented within six weeks.
R. Govindan had been appointed as a basic servant on a consolidated pay of Rs.60 per month since October 1986 in the Thandarampet panchayat union in Tiruvannamalai district. He sought regularisation of his services as several others who worked along with him got the benefit. His plea was not considered. His salary was Rs.620 per month until he retired in March 2010. He died on March 3, 2011.
Govindan’s son G. Ashokan filed a petition for regularising his father’s services from the date of his initial appointment with all consequential benefits and appoint him on compassionate grounds in a post in the panchayat union. A single judge dismissed the plea.
Partly allowing the appeal and setting aside the single judge’s order, the Bench said Govindan was appointed after April 1981. The government regularised the services of more than 381 persons who were given employment after that date, through two government orders, on completion of 10 years of service. His services ought to have been regularised from 1996 as he was appointed in 1986.
