Haryana to Implement Supreme Court Order: 2,000+ Employees to Get Salary Hike, Arrears from 2014

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The Haryana government has decided to implement a Supreme Court order that mandates equal pay for senior employees who earn less than their juniors. The state finance department issued an order on November 10, 2026, directing all major departments to submit a consolidated proposal with the financial impact within 15 days. Over 2,000 state government employees are expected to benefit from the decision.

The salary revision will be effective from March 11, 2014, the date the 2014 Act was notified in the official gazette. The Supreme Court has directed that arrears be calculated and paid to eligible petitioners and all similarly placed employees within six months. Retired and deceased employees who retired or died before March 11, 2014, will also benefit notionally, with their pensions adjusted to be at par with similar employees.

What is the 'equal pay for equal work' principle under the Constitution?

The principle of 'equal pay for equal work' is recognised under Article 39(d) of the Constitution of India, which directs the State to ensure that there is equal pay for equal work for both men and women. Although a Directive Principle is not directly enforceable by courts, the Supreme Court has read it into the fundamental right to equality under Article 14 in a series of judgments. The landmark case of Randhir Singh v. Union of India (1982) held that the principle is not a mere abstract doctrine but a constitutional goal enforceable through Article 14. The Supreme Court later clarified in State of Punjab v. Jagjit Singh (2017) that temporary employees performing the same duties as permanent employees are entitled to the same pay. The court has also ruled that stepping up of pay of seniors to match juniors is permissible to remove anomalies, as upheld in Union of India v. P. Jagdish (1997).

What is the legal basis for the order?

The principle of 'equal pay for equal work' is enshrined in Article 39(d) of the Constitution as a Directive Principle of State Policy. The Supreme Court's order addresses the anomaly where senior employees earn less than their juniors due to different pay commission recommendations or recruitment rules. By fixing the effective date as March 11, 2014, the court has provided a clear cut-off for implementation.

How will the compliance process work?

The finance department has directed all administrative departments, including Home, PWD (B&R), Irrigation, Development and Panchayat, Transport, Urban Local Bodies, and PHED, to get cases examined by SAS and Attorney cadre officers. Departments must submit a consolidated proposal with the full financial impact to the finance department within 15 days. Once verified, salary revisions and arrears payments will be processed.