Allahabad High Court
SURESH KUMARversusSTATE OF U.P. AND 2 OTHERS
- Decided
- Bench
- PRAKASH PADIA
Holding
The Court held that the petitioner is prima facie entitled to the minimum pay scale but disposed the writ, directing the respondent authority to consider a fresh representation and decide the claim within the stipulated time.
Summary
The petitioner, a daily‑wage worker in the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department, filed a writ petition seeking a mandamus directing the State to pay him the minimum pay scale of Rs 18,000 per month as recommended by the 7th Pay Commission. He alleged that despite several representations, he had not received the stipulated wages since April 2018. A letter dated 5 April 2023 from the Principal Chief Forest Conservator directed compliance with the Allahabad High Court’s earlier judgment in Mohan Swaroop v. State of U.P., which ordered payment of the minimum wage. The Court, after noting the prima facie entitlement of the petitioner, disposed of the petition, granting him liberty to file a fresh representation within three weeks and directing the respondent authority to decide the matter with a reasoned order within two months. The order also referenced the Supreme Court’s decision in Sabha Shankar Dube v. Divisional Forest Officer and the earlier Allahabad judgment, directing payment of arrears if those precedents apply.
Issues considered
- Whether the petitioner is entitled to the minimum pay scale of Rs 18,000 per month under the 7th Pay Commission.
- Whether a writ of mandamus can be issued directing the State to pay the minimum wage and arrears.
- Whether the earlier judgments in Mohan Swaroop v. State of U.P. and Sabha Shankar Dube v. Divisional Forest Officer are applicable to the petitioner’s claim.
- Whether the Court should dispose the petition with a direction to file a fresh representation instead of granting immediate relief.
Subjects
- minimum wage
- mandamus
- 7th Pay Commission
- forest department
- daily wage worker
- writ petition
- arrears
- payment of wages
Judgment
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
WRIT - A No. - 7124 of 2026
Suresh Kumar
.....Petitioner(s)
Versus
State Of U.P. And 2 Others
.....Respondent(s)
Counsel for Petitioner(s) : Daya Shankar Srivastava
Counsel for Respondent(s) : C.S.C.
Court No. - 6
HON'BLE PRAKASH PADIA, J.
1. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned Standing Counsel for
the State-respondents.
2. The petitioner by means of the present writ petition has prayed for a writ
of mandamus directing the respondents to pay minimum pay scale.
3. The petitioner is working as daily wager in the forest department. The
grievance of the petitioner is that he has not been paid minimum wages @
Rs.18,000/- as per the 7th Pay Commission and in this respect, he has
submitted several representations to respondent-authorities, but till date, no
action has been taken on the same.
4. A letter dated April 5th, 2023 has already been written by the Principal
Chief Forest Conservator U.P. 17 Rana Pratap Mark Lucknow directing the
all forest officers to comply with the judgement order passed by this Court in
the case of Mohan Swaroop and Another Vs. State of U.P. and Others
passed in Writ-A No.11964 of 2018. The relevant portion of the aforesaid
letter is reproduced hereinbelow:-
"अितमहत्वपूण/र् समयब्ध
कायार्लय ्ऺधान मुख्य वन संर्षक और िवभागाध्य्ष, उ०्ऺ०, लखनऊ
प्ऴांक-को०के० 1812/6जी०जी०एल०, िदनांक, लखनऊ, अ्ऺैल, 05 2023
सेवा में,
1-समस्त मण्डलीय मुख्य वन संर्षक (वन्य जीव सिहत), उ०्ऺ०। (नाम से)
2-समस्त वन संर्षक/्षे्ऴीय िनदेशक (वन्य जीव सिहत), उ०्ऺ०। (नाम से)
3- समस्त ्ऺभागीय वनािधकारी/्ऺभागीय िनदेशक, (वन्य जीव सिहत), उ०्ऺ०।
(नाम से)
िवषय- िरट यािचका सं०-11964/2018 मोहन स्वरूप व अन्य बनाम उ०्ऺ०
राज्य व अन्य के साथ सम्ब्ध सभी यािचकाओं के सम्बन्ध में।
WRIA No. 7124 of 2026
2
संदभर्-1. उ०्ऺ० शासन, पयार्वरण वन एवं जलवायु पिरवतर्न अनुभाग-3 का प्ऴ
संख्या-िरट 170/81-3-2023-300(12)/2009 िद० 20.03.2023 (शुि्ध प्ऴ)
व इस प्ऴ में उिल्लिखत शासकीय प्ऴ िरट 105/81-3-2023-
300(12)/2009 िद० 22.02.2023 (स्कैन्ऺित संलग्नक 1 व 2 ईमेल पर)
2. उ०्ऺ० शासन, पयार्वरण वन एवं जलवायु पिरवतर्न अनुभाग-3 का प्ऴ संख्या
-िरट- 183/81-3-2023-300(12)/2009 िद० 03.04.2023 (स्कैन्ऺित
संलग्नक 3 ईमेल पर)
महोदय,
िवषयांिकत ्ऺकरण से सम्बिन्धत उपरो्व संदिभत शासकीय प्ऴ िदनांक
20.03.2023 का ्ऺभावी अंश िनम्न है-
"अवगत कराना है िक शासन के प्ऴ संख्या-िरट-105/81-3-2023-
300(12)/2009, िदनांक 22.02.2023 ्षारा िरट यािचका संख्या-
11964/2018 मोहन स्वरूप व अन्य बनाम उ०्ऺ० राज्य व अन्य से संबंिधत
यािचयों को िदनांक 01.04.2018 से रू० 18,000/- सशतर् न्यूनतम वेतन
्ऺितमाह भुगतान िकये जाने के िनदरॏश ्ऺसािरत िकये गये।
2- उ्व प्ऴ िदनांक 22.02.2023 में उिल्लिखत िरट यािचका संख्या
-11964/2018 मोहन स्वरूप व अन्य बनाम उ०्ऺ० राज्य व अन्य से संबंिधत
यािचओं के स्थान पर िरट यािचका संख्या-11964/2018 मोहन स्वरूप व अन्य
बनाम उ०्ऺ० राज्य व अन्य के साथ सम्ब्ध सभी यािचकाओं के यािचओं को
प़ाा जाय। इस शासनादेश िदनांक 22.02.2023 को केवल इस सीमा तक
संशोिधत माना जायेगा।"
अतः उ्व संदिभत शासकीय प्ऴ िदनांक 20.03.2023, 22.02.2023 व
03.04.2023 की स्कैन ्ऺित (ईमेल पर) संलग्न कर उ्वानुसार शासन ्षारा
िदये गये िनदरॏशों का अनुपालन करते हुए कृत कायर्वाही की मंडलीय/्ऺभागीय
स्तर की सूचना िदनांक 05.03.2023 तक ्ऺभागीय वनािधकारी, पीलीभीत
टाइगर िरजवर्, पीलीभीत ([email protected]) को उपलब्ध करांए तथा
अिभलेख हेतु मुख्य वन संर्षक, मानव संसाधन िवकास, उ०्ऺ०, लखनऊ
([email protected]) को हाडर् कॉपी व साफ्ट कापी में उपलब्ध कराना
सुिनि्ात करें।
वाद मा० न्यायालय में िद० 11.04.2023 को सूचीब्ध है। अतः त्विरत कायर्वाही
करना सुिनि्ात करें।
संलग्नक- शासकीय प्ऴांक िद० 20.03.23, िद० 22.02.2023 व
03.04.2023
(स्कैन ्ऺित ईमेल पर)
भवदीय
(ममता संजीव दूबे)
्ऺधान मुख्य वन संर्षक और िवभागाध्य्ष,
उ०्ऺ०, लखनऊ।"
5. Pursuant to the aforesaid letter, certain orders were passed by the
concerned Forest Officers for making payment of Rs.18,000/- per month as
per recommendation made by the 7th Pay Commission along with the
arrears with effect from 01.04.2018. In this view of the matter, the Court is
of the prima facie opinion that the petitioner is entitled for the relief as
prayed for in the present petition.
6. Learned Standing Counsel for the respondents submits that no useful
WRIA No. 7124 of 2026
3
purpose would be served in keeping the writ petition pending and
appropriate direction may be issued to concerned respondent-authority to
consider the grievance of the petitioner.
7. Considering the facts and circumstances of the case and without going
into the merits of the case and with the consent of the parties, the writ
petition is disposed off with liberty to the petitioner to file a fresh
representation before the concerned-respondent authority along-with a
certified copy of this order raising all his grievances within a period of three
weeks from today. In case any such representation is filed by the petitioner,
the concerned respondent-authority shall consider and decide the same in
accordance with law by reasoned and speaking order within a period of two
months thereafter.
8. If it is found that petitioner's case is covered by the judgement of Apex
Court in the case of Sabha Shankar Dube Vs. Divisional Forest Officer &
Others in Civil Appeal Nos.10957-10963 of 2018 and judgement of this
Court in the case of Mohan Swaroop and another Vs. State of U.P. and
others passed in Writ-A No.11964 of 2018, the concerned respondent-
authority shall pay minimum pay scale of Rs.18,000/- per month to the
petitioner as per 7th pay commission and shall also pay arrears since April,
2018 in view of the fact that the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest filed
an affidavit in Writ-A No.624 of 2023 admitting the claim of the petitioners
in the said writ petition for payment of Rs.18,000/- per month as their wages
on the basis of minimum pay scale in view of the settled principles of law
laid down in the cases of Sabha Shankar Dube (supra) and Mohan
Swaroop (supra) and, consequently, paid them minimum pay scale of
Rs.18,000/- per month along-with arrears since April, 2018.
(Prakash Padia,J.)
May 12, 2026
Pramod Tripathi
Digitally signed by :-
PRAKASH PADIA
High Court of Judicature at Allahabad
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