Salary-Allowance Update: The matter concerning the hike in salaries and other remuneration for Agriculture Department employees in Chhattisgarh has reached the Bilaspur High Court. A significant hearing regarding this case took place in the High Court on September 18, 2026. During the hearing of a batch of over 100 petitions—including Sandeep Lakra vs. Union of India—the state government informed the court that a proposal to revise the petitioners’ pay scales is currently being prepared.
Government Informs the High Court
The case was heard in the court of Justice Narendra Kumar Vyas. Advocate Deepali Pandey represented the petitioners. Meanwhile, Deputy Solicitor General Ramakant Mishra, Additional Advocate General Gary Mukhopadhyay, Government Advocate Shailaja Shukla, and other counsel appeared on behalf of the Central and State governments.
In compliance with a previous High Court directive, Rahul Dev, the Director of Agriculture (also the District Collector of Raipur), appeared before the court via video conferencing. The issue of revising employee salaries and remuneration was discussed during the hearing. It was at this juncture that the state government stated a proposal for revising the petitioners’ pay scales was under preparation.
Court Seeks Written Proposal Following Verbal Assurance
After receiving the information from the government, the High Court directed that a detailed account of the proposal be submitted to the court, rather than relying solely on verbal assurances. Justice Narendra Kumar Vyas instructed the state government to file the details regarding the proposed pay scale revision in writing.
This submission will clarify the nature of the pay scale revision proposed by the government and the benefits the employees stand to gain from it.
Proposal to be Filed by October 5
The High Court has directed the state government to submit the detailed proposal regarding the revision of the petitioners’ pay scales to the court by October 5, 2026.
The next hearing will clarify—based on the government’s proposal—the nature of the proposed changes to the pay scales and determine which employees will receive benefits and on what grounds.
Seven Other Cases Linked to the Same Issue
During the hearing, the state government also informed the court that seven other petitions related to this issue are currently pending. However, these cases have not been assigned to the current bench handling the batch.
In this regard, the High Court directed that these seven cases be placed before the Chief Justice for appropriate orders so that a decision regarding their listing could be taken.
The next hearing is scheduled for October 5.
The High Court directed that, following the Chief Justice’s order regarding the listing, all related matters be listed for hearing on October 5, 2026.
For now, the High Court has not approved any hike in the salaries or allowances of Agriculture Department employees. The state government must first submit the detailed proposal to the court; the court will then take a further decision on the matter.
