IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) PRESENT THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE RAMESH RANGANATHAN WRIT PETITION NO.25908 OF 1999 DATED:29.07.2010 Between: K. Goverdhan Reddy … Petitioner And The Government of Andhra Pradesh Rep. by its Secretary, Education Department Secretariat, Hyderabad and others … Respondents THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE RAMESH RANGANATHAN WRIT PETITION NO.25908 OF 1999 ORDER: The relief sought for in this writ petition is to direct respondents 2 and 3 to sanction and release three advance increments, i.e., one from August, 1991 and two increments from May, 1998, with arrears to the petitioner in terms of the first respondent’s Memo dt.12.3.1993. The petitioner seeks a consequential direction to declare the second respondent’s letter dt.21.8.1999 as arbitrary and illegal. The petitioner’s case, in short, is that on his acquiring M. Phil., and Ph.D., qualifications he is entitled for one advance increment and two advance increments respectively. It is his case that he passed M. Phil., in the year 1991 and his Ph.D., in 1998 as a result of which he is entitled for the advance increments aforementioned. He would question the impugned proceedings of the second respondent dt.21.8.1999 whereby he was denied advance increments on the ground that he had been drawing Grade-I Scale of Pay. The petitioner would contend that Grade-I Scales were abolished pursuant to the Pay Revision Commission, 1986, and subsequent thereto the posts of Junior Lecturers are no longer categorized as Grade-I and Grade-II and all of them form one common category. A perusal of the Government Memo dt.12.3.1993 would show that, while Junior Lecturers acquiring M. Phil., are entitled for sanction of one increment and on acquiring Ph.D., to two increments, the said benefit has been extended only to Junior Lecturers in Government Junior Colleges. While Sri B. Ranganatha Rao, learned Counsel for the petitioner, would submit that a similar benefit has been extended to Government Aided Junior Colleges also, no material has been placed in this regard to substantiate such a plea nor has any reply affidavit has been filed denying the allegations in the counter affidavit. While the impugned order refusing to grant increments to the petitioner, on the ground that he was drawing Grade-I Scale, may not be justified in as much as categorization of Junior Lecturers into categories 1 and 2 is said to have been abolished subsequent to Pay Revision Commission, 1986, the fact remains that no order of the Government, whereby the benefit of advance increments on acquiring M. Phil., and Ph.D., Degrees has been extended to Junior Lecturers in Government Aided Colleges also, has been placed before this Court. Sri B. Ranganatha Rao, learned Counsel for the petitioner, would seek permission of this Court for the petitioner to submit a representation to respondents 1 to 3 along with documentary evidence in support of the contention that the benefit of advance increments, on acquiring higher qualifications of M. Phil., and Ph.D., has been extended to Junior Colleges in Government Aided Colleges also. In these circumstances, I consider it appropriate to permit the petitioner to submit a representation to respondent Nos.1 and 2 along with proceedings, if any, issued sanctioning advance increments on acquiring the higher qualifications of M. Phil., and Ph.D. In case the petitioner submits a representation as aforementioned within four weeks from today, respondents 1 and 2 shall consider the same and pass orders, within three months thereafter, in accordance with law. The Writ Petition is, accordingly, disposed of. No costs. ________________________ RAMESH RANGANATHAN, J 29.07.2010 bnr Note: Issue C.C. in ten (10) days. (B.O) bnr