Tripura HC orders regular salary for government employees from day one, says five-year fixed salary against Constitution

The Tripura High Court on Thursday, January 8, ruled against the state government’s 2001 and 2007 decision to keep newly appointed government employees on a fixed salary for the first five years. 

Speaking on the matter, Advocate Purushottam Roy Barman said according to the court verdict, employees, including TET teachers and other permanent government staff, are entitled to receive their regular salary scale from the very first day of employment.

He stated that the Division Bench of the High Court disposed of two writ cases related to this issue.
“The cases were initially filed in 2001 and 2007. The then state government had previously decided that even after being placed on a regular salary scale, employees would receive only a fixed salary during their first five years of service. The court, however, declared this policy unconstitutional. Employees filed this case under compulsion, and they cannot be deprived of their constitutional rights”, said the Advocate.

He said that Chief Justices of Tripura High Court M.S. Ramachandra Rao and Justice Biswajit Palit emphasized that the petitioners must be paid according to the regular pay scale from their first day of employment, both for graduate and postgraduate teachers.

“The verdict will apply to all government employees, and those who filed the writ petition—18 individuals in total—are required to pay Rs 2,000 each as court expenses. The court also stated that if the government fails to comply with the ruling, employees have the right to seek further legal recourse”, he saod.
Lawyer Purushottam Roy Barman described the decision as “far-reaching” and said it ensures fair treatment and protection of constitutional rights for government employees across the state.