HC rejects regularisation plea of Haryana's Special Police Officers
But says they are entitled to salary, service security
In a judgment that impacts about 11,000 Special Police Officers (SPOs) working with the Haryana Police, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has declined to regularise their services, but validated their entitlement to salary and security of service.
Disposing of their petition, Justice Jagmohan Bansal quoted the Supreme Court order in a similar issue regarding Home Guard volunteers, stating that they would be entitled to minimum of pay scale, including dearness allowance (DA). Referring to the judgment, it said the SC judgment in Grah Rakshak was applicable to the petitioners, thus, they were entitled to minimum of pay scale, plus DA, as paid to the members of Home Guards.
The HC said the petitioners were working without interruption since 2017 and discharging the same duties as constables, and that they could not be paid honorarium less than that of members of Home Guards.
However, regarding regularisation, it observed that “there are no sanctioned/regular posts of Special Police Officers…”. But it stated that the petitioners fell within the definition of eligible employees having completed five years of service.
Advocate Sunil Kumar Nehra represented the SPOs in the case. The SPOs will now get Rs 35,000 per month as there will be a raise of about Rs 15,000 with effect from February 1.
