The Orissa High Court has directed the United Puri-Nimapara Central Cooperative Bank Ltd. to extend higher salary benefits to a woman who worked as a cashier for over two decades but was paid a peon’s wage throughout her service.
The verdict, delivered by Justice M.S. Raman in W.P.(C) No. 32917 of 2011, quashed the bank’s 2011 order that regularised Tilottama Baliarsingh as a peon despite her responsibilities as a cashier since 2001.
Tilottama was hired as a temporary peon (Grade VII) on July 17, 1999, under a rehabilitation scheme after her husband, a bank manager, passed away. Just two years later, she was assigned cashier duties (Grade VI) at the Mahila branch in Puri, but she continued to receive a peon’s salary.
In 2011, the bank formalised her position—not as a cashier, but still as a peon. Contesting this decision, she approached the High Court seeking rightful regularisation and salary revision.
Justice Raman nullified the 2011 regularisation order, directing the bank to re-evaluate her position as a cashier within three months. The court acknowledged that Tilottama, a Class X graduate with a spotless service record, had consistently and capably performed cashier duties for more than 23 years.
The judge also dismissed the bank’s claim regarding her qualifications, noting that her long and sincere service outweighed formal credentials.
“An employee cannot be deprived of the right to receive higher pay if performing duties of a higher office,” observed Justice Raman.
The ruling further clarified that Tilottama is entitled to financial benefits from the date of her effective cashier responsibilities, should her regularisation be revised.
The court’s decision sends a strong message about protecting employees from being underpaid for higher responsibilities. It reinforces the legal requirement for fair compensation aligned with actual work performed, encouraging greater accountability from employers in public and cooperative institutions.
