In Brief
Sub Fire Officers of Punjab State Electricity Board sought parity of pay scales with Head Clerks, Internal Auditors and other posts in the same Group XII, claiming discrimination under Article 14 of the Constitution. The High Court granted relief based on their inclusion in the same group. The Supreme Court reversed this, holding that mere grouping does not entitle parity of pay. Parity can only be claimed when there is complete identity in recruitment mode, qualifications, nature of duties, responsibilities and status. The burden is on the claimant to prove similarity. Since the Sub Fire Officers presented no material establishing such identity, and courts should not interfere with expert pay-fixing decisions, the appeal was allowed and the High Court judgment was set aside."
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