In Brief
Government drivers in Tamil Nadu sought higher Selection Grade and Special Grade pay scales (Rs. 5000-8000 and Rs. 5500-9000) based on prior High Court judgments granting similar relief to other drivers. The Court held that drivers carrying the base Ordinary Grade pay scale of Rs. 3200-4900 were entitled only to Selection Grade and Special Grade pay scales of Rs. 4000-6000 and Rs. 4300-6000 under G.O. Ms. No. 162, not the higher amounts. The Court affirmed that Article 14 of the Constitution cannot be invoked to claim parity based on erroneous grants to others, as it only guarantees positive equality and not negative equality. The Court partly allowed some appeals to grant only the lower, lawful entitlements.
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