For A M Trivedi, now 78, it’s still a matter of running from pillar to post, notwithstanding the fact that in 42 years since he first filed his petition, even the state Capital has shifted from Ahmedabad to Gandhinagar.

According to Trivedi, the then college principal and registrar of Bhavnagar University had withheld his “unsettled legitimate due pay” at the time of shifting the College to Saurashtra University.

This was because of pay fixation audit objection by the Accountant General’s Office at Rajkot. He claims his pay scale was not Rs 265 as fixed by the authorities at the college but Rs 365 after his promotion as tutor in 1966. But due to alleged tampering with service book records in the college, the Accountant General’s office in Rajkot had raised audit objections and ordered a recovery. The interpretation of facts, audit objection and delay in rectification of legitimate pay has caused him mental agony and put him in a helpless condition, he says.

Correspondence followed with the Accountant General’s office, which later directed the college to consider his case, ultimately fixing his basic pay at Rs 305 per month with effect from May 1968. However, Trivedi contended that he was entitled to get basic pay of Rs 325 pm with effect from April 1, 1966, the day he was promoted as tutor. However, his service book recorded his basic pay as Rs 265 per month, to which he protested before the Gujarat Affiliated Colleges Tribunal at Ahmedabad in 1997.

The Tribunal in May 2003 directed the College to consider Trivedi’s case for pay fixation as per Government Resolution numbers July 9, 1970 and June 6, 1970, asking him to furnish full calculations regarding his pay fixation.

The order was to be implemented in three weeks in May 2003.