AGARTALA: Tripura HC struck down a 25-year-old state govt policy mandating fixed pay for the first five years to newly appointed employees recruited through competitive examinations, calling it “unconstitutional”, reports Biswendu Bhattacharjee. The policy – introduced by the Left Front govt in 2001 and 2007 for Group C and Group D posts, respectively – required recruits to sanctioned posts to serve at least five years on fixed pay before being placed on a regular pay scale. The practice continued after the BJP-led govt assumed office in 2018, prompting teachers appointed through Teachers Eligibility Test to move HC, which held that all govt employees were entitled to draw full regular salary from first day of employment. Petitioners’ counsel Purushottam Roy Barman said the division bench of Chief Justice M S Ramachandra Rao and Justice Biswajit Palit heard long-pending writ petitions challenging the policy. The 18 employees who filed the writ petitions were directed to pay Rs 2,000 each as court costs. The high court said employees may pursue further legal action if govt did not comply with the order.