Port Blair, March 22: The Member of Parliament, Shri. Kuldeep Rai Sharma has requested the Hon’ble Lt. Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands to grant 1/30th Pay + DA to all the DRMs working in various departments of A&N Administration w.e.f. 01.09.2017
In a letter addressed to the Lt. Governor, the Member of Parliament said that earlier vide a letter No.MP/ANI/Genl/2021/329 dated 11.11.2021. addressed to Secretary (APWD), A&N Administration, a request was made to extend the enhanced wage of 1/30th Pay at minimum of relevant basic pay + DA to 2000 odd long serving DRMs of APWD who were left out for want of vacant sanctioned posts as prescribed at Sl.No.(c) of OM No.289 dated 22.09.2017 of A&N Administration.
He said that such request was made in view of Hon'ble Supreme Court of India judgement of providing “Equal Pay for Equal Work” brought out by the Government of India vide DoPT, OM No.49014/1/2017-Estt (C ) PF dated 4th September 2019 while reiterating the promulgation made at Sl.No.(iv) of the DoPT OM No.49014/2/86-Estt dated 07.06.1988 which states "Where the nature of work entrusted to the casual workers and regular employees is the same as casual workers may be paid at the rate of 1/30th of pay at the minimum of the relevant pay scale plus dearness allowance for work of 8 hours a day" .
He mentioned that in reply, the A&N Administration through the Dy. Secretary (APWD) vide letter No.14-5/2019-PWD/797 dated 17th December 2021 forwarded the report obtained from the EO to Chief Engineer, APWD vide letter No.10-250/CE/PW/ES-III/2021/6146 dated 2nd December 2021, wherein it is said that “the grant of such facility to the left out DRMs shall be governed by the OM No.289 dated 22.09.2017 till the appeal in MA No.09/2020 filed by the department before the Hon’ble High Court (Division Bench) of Kolkata, Circuit Bench at Port Blair, is finally disposed off for which hearing was fixed on 06.12.2021”.
He added that now it is learnt that the appeal filed by the A&N Administration in MA No.09/2020 since been disposed off vide judgement dated 19th December 2022, wherein the Hon’ble Division Bench of High Court of Calcutta after examining the OM No.289 dated 22nd September, 2017 of A&N Administration has ordered that all DRMs under the Administration shall be paid and granted the benefit in terms of OM No.289 dated 22.09.2017 within a period of two months from date i.e.19.12.2022 irrespective of their engagement/appointment against the sanctioned posts or not in view of DoPT OM No.49014/2/86-Estt dated 07.06.1988 .
Hence the Member of Parliament has requested the Hon’ble Lt. Governor to consider for extending the benefit of enhanced wage of 1/30th of pay plus Dearness Allowance per day to all DRMs serving under A&N Administration in various departments in the light of the judgement dated 19th December 2022 in MA No.09/2020 passed by the Hon’ble High Court of Calcutta (Division Bench) Circuit Bench at Port Blair.