Allahabad High Court
JITENDRA KUMARversusSTATE OF U.P. AND 2 OTHERS
- Decided
- Bench
- PRAKASH PADIA
Holding
The court disposed of the writ petition, directing the petitioner to file a fresh representation and the respondent to decide the claim within two months, thereby acknowledging the petitioner's entitlement to the minimum wage.
Summary
Jitendra Kumar, a daily wager in the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department, filed a writ petition seeking a mandamus directing the State to pay him the minimum wage of Rs 18,000 per month as prescribed by the 7th Pay Commission. He alleged that despite several representations, the department had not paid the amount and cited a prior judgment (Mohan Swaroop v. State of U.P.) ordering such payment. The Principal Chief Forest Conservator had issued a letter directing forest officers to comply with that judgment, and orders were subsequently passed to pay the petitioner with arrears from April 2018. The High Court, after a prima facie assessment, held that the petitioner was entitled to the relief but, without deciding the merits, disposed of the petition on the condition that the petitioner file a fresh representation within three weeks and the respondent decide it within two months. The court further directed that, if the case falls within the scope of the Supreme Court decision in Sabha Shankar Dube v. DFO and the Mohan Swaroop judgment, the respondent must pay the minimum wage with arrears. Thus, the petition was closed pending a fresh representation rather than being outright dismissed or granted.
Issues considered
- Whether the petitioner is entitled to a mandamus directing payment of the minimum wage of Rs 18,000 per month under the 7th Pay Commission.
- Whether the prior judgments in Mohan Swaroop (2018) and Sabha Shankar Dube (2018) bind the respondent to pay the minimum wage.
- Whether the writ petition should be disposed of or the petitioner should be directed to pursue a fresh representation before the authority.
Subjects
- minimum wage
- mandamus
- 7th Pay Commission
- forest department
- writ petition
- payment of wages
- precedent
Judgment
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
WRIT - A No. - 7283 of 2026
Jitendra 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. 7283 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. 7283 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 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 14, 2026
Swati
Digitally signed by :-
SWATI PATHAK
High Court of Judicature at Allahabad
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