As many as 30 retired state government officials, who were deprived of annual increment as they retired just a day before the increment was to be enforced, ie July 1, got a major relief from the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT) which ruled that the increment should be taken into account while calculating their retirement benefits. Of the 30 complaints, 26 were from retired officials from sales tax, public health and state police departments. MAT clubbed all the complaints and passed its landmark order.

The case

Litigants said they were entitled to the benefit of increment and cited that as per the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission and Rule 36 of the Maharashtra Civil Services (Pay) Rules, all employees are entitled to increment, effective from July 1 every year, if they have completed one year of service, unless the same is withheld as penalty.