Page No.# 1/12 GAHC010056772026 undefined THE GAUHATI HIGH COURT (HIGH COURT OF ASSAM, NAGALAND, MIZORAM AND ARUNACHAL PRADESH) Case No. : WP(C)/1604/2026 GAUTAM BARUAH AND 42 ORS. S/O-JITENDRA BARUA, AGED ABOUT-36, VILLAGE-DAMADARPUR PT-I, P.O-SILGARA, DIST-KOKRAJHAR, BTC, ASSAM PIN-783348 2: LUDAU RABHA S/O-BANGTU RABHA AGED ABOUT-42 VILLAGE-JARNAGRA PT-I P.O-SILGARA DIST-KOKRAJHAR BTC ASAAM PIN-783348 3: KHALILUR RAHMAN S/O-RAHMAN ALI AGED ABOUT-44 VILLAGE-HATIPOTA PT-I P.O-HATIPOTA DIST-DHUBRI PIN-783348 4: MOHIDUL ISLAM S/O-DELSAD ALI AGED ABOUT-35 VILLAGE-ALURBHUI P.O-SILGARA DIST-KOKRAJHAR BTC ASSAM PIN-783348 5: MOHIR UDDIN SK S/O-BHASHA ALI AGED ABOUT-44 Page No.# 2/12 VILLAGE-ALURBHUI P.O-SILGARA DIST-KOKRAJHAR BTC ASSAM PIN-783348 6: ROFIQUL HOQUE S/O-AMZAD ALI AGED ABOUT-37 VILLAGE-TINTILA P.O-SILGARA DIST-KOKRAJHAR PIN-783348 7: MANIK ALI S/O-SIDDIQUE ALI AGED ABOUT-35 VILLAGE-ALURBHUI P.O-SILGARA DIST-KOKRAJHAR BTC ASSAM PIN-783348 8: MANNAN ALI S/O-SIDDIQUE ALI AGED ABOUT-45 VILLAGE-ALURBHUI P.O-SILGARA DIST-KOKRAJHAR BTC ASSAM PIN-783348 9: ABDUL WAHEB S/O-MOHIRUDDIN SK AGED ABOUT-41 VILLAGE-ALURBHUI P.O-SILGARA DIST-KOKRAJHAR BTC ASSAM PIN-783348 10: KHODA BOX SK S/O-MOHAR ALI SK AGED ABOUT-37 VILLAGE-ALURBHUI P.O-SILGARA Page No.# 3/12 DIST-KOKRAJHAR BTC ASAAM PIN-783348 11: JAKIR HUSSAIN S/O-NURAL ISLAM AGED ABOUT-35 VILLAGE-ALURBHUI P.O-SILGARA DIST-KOKRAHAR BTC ASSAM PIN-783348 12: SANOWAR HUSSSAIN S/O-NURAL ISLAM AGED ABOUT-37 VILLAGE-ALURBHUI P.O-SILGARA DIST-KOKRAJHAR BTC ASSAM PIN-783348 13: ASHAB ALI S/O-KASEM ALI AGED ABOUT-36 VILLAGE-ALURBHUI P.O-SILGARA DIST-KOKRAJHAR BTC ASSAM PIN-783348 14: MIZANUR HOQUE S/O-HUSSAIN ALI AGED ABOUT-36 VILLAGE-SRIGRAM PT-V P.O-SALKOCHA DIST-DHUBRI ASSAM PIN-783348 15: KADER ALI S/O-SUMU ALI AGED ABOUT-37 VILLAGE-TARANGAPUR Page No.# 4/12 P.O-CHAPAR DIST-DHUBRI ASSAM PIN-783371 16: SAHAR ALI S/O-LT. ASKER ALI AGED ABOUT-43 VILLAGE-SRIGRAM PT-VI P.O- HATIPOTA DIST-DHUBRI ASSAM PIN-783348 17: KALAM ALI S/O-SAMSUL HOQUE AGED ABOUT-37 VILLAGE-ALURBHUI P.O-SILGARA DIST-KOKRAJHAR PIN-783348 18: SOFIAR RAHMAN S/O-KUDDUS ALI AGED ABOUT-43 VILLAGE-SRIGRAM P.O-HATIPOTA DIST-KOKMRAJHAR BTC ASSAM PIN-783348 19: NARATTAM CHAUDHURY S/O-ANJAN CHOUDHURY AGED ABOUT-37 VILLAGE-DAMODARPUR PT-II P.O-SILGARA DIST-KOKRAJHAR BTC ASSAM PIN-783348 20: NABAJYATI RAY S/O-AKAN RAY AGED ABOUT-37 VILLAGE-DAMODARPUR PT- I P.O- SILGARA DIST-KOKRAJHAR BTC Page No.# 5/12 ASSAM PIN-783348 21: GOPAL BASUMATARY S/O-SUNI RAM BASUMATARY AGED ABOUT-36 VILLAGE-BASHBARI P.O-SILGARA DIST-KOKRAJHAR BTC ASSAM PIN-783348 22: SURAJIT DAS S/O-KAMAL DAS AGED ABOUT-36 VILLAGE-SATYAPUR P.O-CHAPAR DIST-KOKRAHJAR BTC ASSAM PIN-783348 23: MOSTOFAR ALI S/O-GOHOR UDDIN SHEIKH AGED ABOUT-48 VILLAGE-CHIRAKUTA P.O-CHIRAKUTA DIST-DHUBRI ASSAM PIN-783348 24: SHAHANUR ALI S/O-GOHOR UDDIN SHEIKH AGED ABOUT-37 VILLAGE-CHIRAKUTA PT-I P.O-CHIRAKUTA DIST-DHUBRI PIN-783348 25: TAJNUR SK S/O-IDO SHEIKH AGED ABOUT-37 VILLAGE-BAMUNGAON RIVER BLOCK P.O- JAMDUAR DIST-DHUBRI PIN-783348 26: MOFIJUL HOQUE Page No.# 6/12 S/O-KASEM ALI AGED ABOUT-37 VILLAGE-BAMUNGAON PT-I P.O-SILGARA DIST-KOKRAJHAR PIN-783348 27: ABDUL MANNAF S/O-NAFLU SHEIKH AGED ABOUT-40 VILLAGE-BAMUNGAON RIVER BLOCK P.O- JAMDUAR DIST-DHUBRI ASSAM PIN-783348 28: RUHUL AMIN S/O-ABDUL MOZID AGED ABOUT-43 VILLAGE-BAMUNGAON PT-I P.O-SILGARA DIST-KOKRAJHAR PIN-783348 29: MOJNU ALI S/O-NAFULU SHEIKH AGED ABOUT-37 VILLAGE-BAMUNGAON RIVER BLOCK P.O-JAMDUAR DIST-DHUBRI PIN-783348 30: MOSTAF ALI S/O-HAFEJUDDIN SHEIKH AGED ABOUT-42 VILLAGE-BAMUNGAON PT-I P.O-SILGARA DIST-KOKRAJHAR BTC ASSAM PIN-783348 31: ROFIQUL ISLAM S/O-NAFLU SHEIKH AGED ABOUT-38 VILLAGE- BAMUNGAON RIVER BLOCK P.O-JAMDUAR DIST-DHUBRI Page No.# 7/12 PIN-783348 32: KHALIL KHAN S/O-LT. AKBAR KHAN AGED ABOUT-41 VILLAGE-BAMUNGAON PT-IV P.O-SILGARA DIST-KOKRAJHAR BTC ASSAM PIN-783348 33: ASMAT ALI S/O-NASHIR UDDIN SK AGED ABOUT-37 VILLAGE-BAMUNGAON PART-IV BOROKASH P.O-SILGARA DIST-KOKRAJAHAR BTC ASSAM PIN-783348 34: SADDAM HUSSAIN S/O-JURAN ALI AHMED AGED ABOUT-32 VILLAGE-NALBARI BETHAGAON P.O-SILGARA DIST-KOKRAJHAR BTC ASSAM PIN-783370 35: GIAS UDDIN SHEIKH S/O-HUSSAIN MUNSHI AGED ABOUT-41 VILLAGE-BAMUNGAON PT-IV P.O-SILGARA DIST-KOKRAJHAR BTC ASSAM PIN-783348 36: MOIDUL ISLAM S/O-KHOYBOR ALI AGED ABOUT-30 VILLAGE-NALBARI P.O-SILGARA DIST-KOKRAJHAR Page No.# 8/12 BTC ASSAM PIN-783348 37: ABDUL ROHIM S/O-ABUL HUSSAIN AGED ABOUT-38 VILLAGE-SAGUNMARI PT-I P.O-BILASHIPARA DIST-DHUBRI ASSAM PIN-783348 38: AJIBAR RAHMAN S/O-SAYED ALI AGED ABOUT-35 VILLAGE-BAMUNGAON PT-III P.O-SILGARA DIST-KOKRAJHAR BTC ASSAM PIN-783348 39: KAMAL HUSSAIN S/O-DAULAT ALI AGED ABOUT-34 VILLAGE-BARUAPARA P.O-K/BHOTGAON DIST-KOKRAJHAR PIN-783370 40: SOPIOR ALI S/O-LT. DILDAR ALI AGED ABOUT-33 VILLAGE-BAHADURPARA P.O-PRATAPKHATA- DIST-KOKRAJHAR BTC ASSAM PIN-783337 41: RABBUL HUSAIN S/O-DAULAT ALI AGED ABOUT-33 VILLAGE-BARUAPARA P.O-K/BHOTGAON DIST-KOKRAJHAR PIN-783370 42: ABUL HUSSAIN Page No.# 9/12 S/O-KASIMUDDIN SHEIKH AGED ABOUT-38 YEARS VILL-ALURBHUI P.O-SILGARA DIST-KOKRAJHAR PIN-783348 43: ABDUL KHALEK S/O-SIDDIQUE ALI SHEIKH AGED ABOUT-35 YEARS VILL-CHAKRASILA PT-II P.O-SILGARA DIST-KOKRAJHAR BTC ASSAM PIN-783348 VERSUS THE STATE OF ASSAM AND 8 ORS. REPRESENTED BY THE COMMISSIONER AND SECRETARY, ENVIRONMENT AND FOREST DEPARTMENT, DISPUR, ASSAM, GUWAHATI- 6 2:THE PRINCIPAL CHIEF CONSERVATOR OF FOREST ASSAM REHABARI GUWAHATI-8. 3:THE COMMISSIONER AND SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF ASSAM FINANCE DEPARTMENT DISPUR GUWAHATI-6. 4:THE BODOLAND TERRITORIAL COUNCIL (BTC) REPRESENTED BY THE PRINCIPAL SECRETARY KOKRAJHAR ASSAM PIN-783370 5:THE COUNCIL HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREST KOKRAJHAR BTC ASSAM PIN-783370 Page No.# 10/12 6:THE CHIEF CONSERVATOR OF FOREST KOKRAJHAR BTC ASSAM PIN-783370 7:THE DIVISIONAL FOREST OFFICER PARBATJHORA DIVISION KOKRAJHAR BTC ASSAM PIN-783337 8:THE FOREST RANGE OFFICER RUPSHI RANGE BASHBARI BTC ASSAM PIN-783348 9:THE FOREST RANGE OFFICER DIPLAI RANGE KOKRAJHAR BTC ASSAM PIN-78337 Advocate for the Petitioner : MR. A BORO, MS TOSHISENLA,I KUMARI,MR H P GUWALA Advocate for the Respondent : SC, FOREST, SC, FINANCE,SC, BTC BEFORE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SOUMITRA SAIKIA ORDER 20.03 .2026 Heard Mr. A. Boro, learned counsel for the petitioner petitioners. Also heard Ms. N. Choudhury, learned Standing Counsel, BTC. 2. Having regard to the nature of the case projected by the petitioners, the Page No.# 11/12 writ petition is taken up for disposal with the consent of the parties. 3. It is the case of the petitioner that due to shortages of manpower between the period 2006-2007, they have been engaged as casual workers under Parbatjhora Division for nursery work under different ranges Parbatjhora Division in the Forest Department, BTC. Even since their engagement, they have been working as such till date but have been paid only a meager sum of fixed wages. It is the case of the petitioners that they are entitled to get the benefit of minimum pay scale in terms of the decision render by a Division Bench of this Court in State of Assam Vs Shri. Upen Das reported in 2020 (5) GLT 605. 4. The learned counsel for the petitioners submits that since there is no dispute, a direction may be issued to the respondent authorities to pay the petitioner a minimum scale of pay in terms of Upen Das (supra). 5. Ms. N. Choudhury, learned Standing Counsel, BTC on the other hand submits that the petitioners are only engaged on casual basis and since it is not a substantive appointment, there is no question of granting them the pay scale as claimed by them. It may however, be seen the direction of a Division Bench of this Court in Upen Das (supra) that all such Muster Roll Workers, Worked Charge Workers and similarly placed employees working since the last more than 10 years and not in a sanctioned post should be granted the minimum of pay scale w.e.f. 01.08.2017. Admittedly, the petitioners in the present case are not working against a sanctioned post but are engaged as casual worker since 2006-2007 which has not been disputed by the respondents. Page No.# 12/12 6. Considering the same, the respondent authorities are directed to grant the petitioners the benefit of minimum pay scale in terms of Upen Das (supra). Before granting them such benefit, the respondents will be at liberty to make necessary verifications as may be required. The petitioners be afforded the minimum pay scale as directed above as expeditiously as possible and preferably within a period of 3 (three) months from the date of receipt of a certified copy of this order. 7. Writ petition accordingly stands disposed of. JUDGE Comparing Assistant