SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has sanctioned higher grade pay of Rs 5,150–8,300 in favour of five Draftsmen of the Public Works (Roads and Buildings) Department, with the benefit to take effect from their respective dates of initial appointment.
The decision follows a series of judicial proceedings in which the Central Administrative Tribunal’s order granting the benefit was upheld by the Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh High Court and subsequently by the Supreme Court of India.
According to a government order issued by the Public Works (R&B) Department on October 28, 2026, the beneficiaries are Hilal Ahmad Wani of Qazipora, Bandipora; Gh Nabi Dar and Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat, both residents of Noorpora, Tral, Pulwama; and Tariq Rasool Bhat and Zaffar Rasool Bhat, both from Aragam, Bandipora.
The order follows the dismissal of a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the Department before the Supreme Court in the case titled UT of J&K and others versus Hilal Ahmad Wani and others.
The Supreme Court, through its order dated April 27, 2026, condoned the delay but declined to exercise its discretionary jurisdiction under Article 136 of the Constitution and dismissed the petition.
The matter was subsequently referred to the Finance Department, which, on July 15, 2026, advised the department to seek the opinion of the Law Department on the possibility of filing a review petition.
However, the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, in its communication dated September 1, 2026, advised against filing a review petition and instead recommended implementation of the directions issued by the Central Administrative Tribunal and the High Court.
The Finance Department subsequently conveyed its agreement on October 8, 2026, to implement the Tribunal’s order dated October 3, 2023, which had been upheld by the High Court through its judgment dated August 14, 2025, and by the Supreme Court’s order dated April 27, 2026.
The Finance Department, however, stipulated that the benefit must remain restricted to the five petitioners and that the necessary orders should be issued with the approval of the competent authority.
Accordingly, the government has sanctioned the higher grade pay for the five beneficiaries from their respective initial appointment dates.
The order further clarifies that the benefit is confined exclusively to the petitioners and shall not constitute a precedent for similar claims in future cases.
