Page No.# 1/4 GAHC020006032024 THE GAUHATI HIGH COURT (HIGH COURT OF ASSAM, NAGALAND, MIZORAM AND ARUNACHAL PRADESH) KOHIMA BENCH Case No. : WP(C)/223/2024 SMTI. HUTONI ZHIMOMI D/O LATE ZHEHOKHE R/O XUIVI VILLAGE ZUNHEBOTO, NAGALAND VERSUS THE STATE OF NAGALAND AND ANR REPRESENTED BY THE COMMISSIONER AND SECRETARY/SECRETARY DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION GOVT. OF NAGALAND NAGALAND KOHIMA 2:THE PRINCIPAL DIRECTOR DIRECTORATE OF SCHOOL EDUCATION NAGALAND KOHIM Advocate for the Petitioner : A. ZHIMOMI, ESTHER,LHOUSINO,G KAMEI,VIKETSONO,MANJONG KONYAK Advocate for the Respondent : , BEFORE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE BUDI HABUNG ORDER Date : 03-04-2025 Heard Ms. N. Solo, learned counsel for the petitioner. Page No.# 2/4 Also heard Ms. S. Mere learned Sr. Government Advocate appearing for the State respondents. 2. By filing this writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, the petitioner is seeking direction to the respondent authorities to consider her case for granting higher scale of pay from the date of her initial appointment. 3. The case of the petitioner is that by office or- der No.ED/EST/CONTG/I/2002-03(Pt-I) dated 10.01.2005 she was appointed as Knitting helper at Gov- ernment Middle School Xuivi in the fixed pay of Rs.2000/- per month under the establishment of Deputy Inspector of School, Zunheboto and her appointment was extended from time to time. Thereafter, she was granted fixed pay of Rs.5250/- PM as per the policy of the Government for grant of fixed pay for skilled employ- ees. Since then, the petitioner has been serving the De- partment for about 20 years. 4. The further case of the petitioner is that ear- lier the petitioner submitted representation dated 06.09.2022 before the authority with a request to grant her higher scale of pay. However, her representation was not considered. 5. The learned counsel for the petitioner further submits that, in a similar case, this Court, by order dated 24.9.2018, passed in W.P.(C) 165 to 168(K)/2018, di- rected the State respondents to consider the petitioner’s case for granting a scale of pay. Accordingly, in compli- Page No.# 3/4 ance with the Court’s order, the respondent authorities, by office order dated 23.1.2020, granted a scale of pay to the petitioners. It is submitted that the case of the present petitioner is similarly situated and squarely cov- ered by the decision in those cases. Therefore, prays for similar relief. 6. However, at this stage, the learned counsel for the petitioner has placed the Office Memorandum No.AR-3/GEN-67/2001 dated 5.3.2025, issued by the Chief Secretary, Government of Nagaland. This memo- randum pertains to conversion of wages of work-charged and casual employees to scale pay as per the Revision of Pay (ROP) 2015, which is reproduced below for ready reference: - “ On the recommendation of the Nagaland Work-Charged and Casual Employees Commission and in pursuance of the Cabinet’s decision conveyed vide letter No.CAB-1/14/.2023 dated 25th February 2025, all Work- Charged and Casual Employees in all the Departments, whose name have been duly verified by the District Level verification Committee and registered in PIMS, receiving fixed pay shall be granted scale of pay as per the Revision of Pay, 2015 with effect from 01.04.2025. Therefore, all departments having Work- Charged and Casual employees are directed to expedite the conversion accordingly.” The office memorandum dated 5.3.2025 is taken on record and marked as document ‘X ‘ for identifi- cation. 7. In light of the above Office Memorandum as placed before this court, the learned counsel for the peti- tioner submits that, since the Government has already Page No.# 4/4 granted a scale of pay to the work-charged and casual employees as per the revision of Pay 2015, this writ peti- tion should be disposed of with a direction to the respon- dent authorities to consider the petitioner’s case accord- ing to the Office Memorandum dated 5.3.2025. 8. Ms. S. Mere, learned Sr. Government Advo- cate, while conceding to the submission made by the learned counsel for the petitioner submits that in view of the issuance of the Office Memorandum dated 5.3.2025, she has no objection if this writ petition is disposed of with the direction as prayed for by the learned counsel for the petitioner by giving at least 4 (four) months’ time to the respondent for compliance. 9. In light of the Office Memorandum issued by the Chief Secretary to the Government of Nagaland on 5.3.2025, and as agreed upon by the parties, this writ petition is disposed of with a direction to the respon- dents authorities to consider the petitioner’s case for granting a scale of pay as per the revision of Pay, 2015, in accordance with Office Memorandum No.AR-3/GEN- 67/2001, dated 5.3.2025, within 4 (four) months from the date of receipt of a certified copy of this order. 10. With these observations, this writ petition stands disposed of. Sd/- JUDGE Comparing Assistant