CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has awarded Rs 20 lakh each as lump sum compensation to two daily wage sweepers of the State Bank of India (SBI), bringing to an end their nearly 27-year-long battle for regularisation.
Disposing of two writ appeals, a division bench of Justices Krishna S Dixit and Chittaranjan Dash ruled that while the workers had rendered around 30 years of “spotless service”, they could not now seek regularisation as earlier rounds of litigation had not conferred such a right.
Mayadhar Nayak and Baina Nayak, who were engaged as daily wage sub-menial staff (sweepers) of the Government Treasury Branch of SBI in Bhubaneswar since 1995 had filed the appeals challenging a Single Judge’s June 20, 2025 order dismissing a plea to regularise their services.
The division bench noted that the appellants had earlier filed two petitions since 1999 seeking regularisation along with service benefits and secured favourable orders in 2007 and 2008 directing SBI to pay to them minimum wages and continue their engagement subject to availability of work.
“The said orders effectively did not grant relief of regularisation or unconditional appointment,” the bench observed. Advocate Rajib Rath represented the appellants, while senior advocate SP Mishra argued on SBI’s behalf.
During the hearing, the judges attempted a negotiated settlement. SBI offered `5 lakh each to the workers but they declined the proposal. In a personal interaction with the bench in Odia, the appellants said they would accept `25 lakh each.
Describing the bank’s offer as “too frugal to be mentioned, when bread is costlier than blood”, the bench remarked that the appellants had “given their sweat & blood” to the institution over three decades. Referring to their age with about 10 more years left for their superannuation, educational background and social circumstances, the judges observed that they were unlikely to secure alternative employment “in the AI era.”
While holding the workers’ demand of Rs 25 lakh each to be excessive, the court concluded that “a lump sum award for Rs 20 lakh each would do complete justice to both the sides”.
Regularising their services would have imposed a greater financial burden on the bank than payment of compensation, the bench observed and directed SBI to pay the compensation within eight weeks.