HC reproves Punjab for frivolous litigation

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has admonished the state for indulging in “frivolous litigation” after asserting that the issue of grade pay for “Inspector Audits” had already attained finality.

A Division Bench of the high court also took note of the state’s failure to follow binding directions in another matter that relief once granted by a court was required to be extended to all similarly placed employees.

“We deem it apposite to mention that this is a classic example of frivolous litigation on part of the state despite the matter with regard to the grade pay of Inspector Audits having attained finality in terms of judgment of this court in the case of Pankaj Sharma and others,” the Bench of Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal and Justice Deepak Manchanda asserted.

The Bench further asserted that the HC in the case of “Satbir Singh versus State of Haryana” had directed Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh “that if a relief has been granted to an employee by an order of the court, the same ought to be extended to other similarly situated employees although they are not party to litigation so that they are not compelled to approach the portals of this court”. The court added the judgment did not appear to have been followed by Punjab.

The matter was placed before the Bench after the state and other appellants challenged a Single Bench judgment dated January 8, whereby employees were granted the pay scale applicable to other Inspector Audits working in the same department.