SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh High Court has ruled in favor of a group of Forest Guards. This decision grants them the pay benefits they had been denied due to delays in their regularization.
The guards, represented by Advocate Deven Khanna, argued that a delay in their regularization put them at a disadvantage. Their counterparts in the Dharamshala Forest Circle were regularized on December 31, 2021.
This timing allowed those guards to receive pay benefits under a government notification issued on January 3, 2022.
However, the petitioners’ regularization came one month later, on February 2, 2022, which caused them to miss out on those benefits.
The lead petitioner, Pushap Kumar, and his colleagues argued that this delay unfairly deprived them of revised pay benefits that their peers received.
The High Court reviewed the case, considering a letter from the Conservator of Forests.
The letter showed that many petitioners had completed two years of contractual service by August 2021. This qualified them for regularization before the January 2022 cut-off date.
Recognizing the disparity, the court ruled in favor of the petitioners. The court directed the Forest Department to retroactively regularize their jobs from December 31, 2021.
This means they will now receive the full benefits of the revised pay scale and other perks, just like their counterparts.
This ruling is a victory for the Forest Guards. It not only provides financial relief but also affirms the importance of fair treatment.
With this decision, the court has ensured that all guards, regardless of administrative delays, are granted the benefits they deserve.
