Pay Verification Cell's Unilateral Reduction Of Salary Without Notice Violates Principles Of Natural Justice: Patna HC

The Patna High Court quashed the Bihar Education Department’s Pay Verification Cell’s order that unilaterally reduced a university employee’s salary and downgraded his designation without prior notice. The court held that such actions violated the principles of natural justice, emphasizing that the Pay Verification Cell’s role is limited to auditing and advising, not independently amending decisions affecting employees’ pay and status. The petitioner, a non-teaching employee at Magadh University, argued that the reduction in pay and designation was done without notice, consultation, or justification, violating an earlier High Court ruling. The court found that any action resulting in adverse civil consequences requires a prior hearing, and the Pay Verification Cell had overstepped its jurisdiction by unilaterally altering the petitioner’s pay and designation without following due process.