Smt. Munni Devi vs Union Of India & Ors.

“i.

To issue order or direction to the respondents to grant gratuity and family pension in her favour under Rules – 75 of Railway Pension Rules 1993 and arrears of family pension from the date of death of her Husband along with 12% interest.

ii.

To issue order or direction to the respondents to decide the representation dated 24-04-2023 by reasoned and speaking order within stipulated time period.

iii.

To pass order and direction to pass any such and other order as deem fit and proper in the facts and circumstances of the case.

iv.

Award the cost of the Petition in favour of the applicant.”

“7.

This controversy is identical to the employee namely, Vimal Kumar Shukla (supra). The Court has taken due consideration of all the aspect of the case particularly the long association of service and also came to the conclusion that though at initial point of time when he was appointed, he was fulfilling all the requisite qualifications, therefore, any term and condition imposed later, would not come into play. It was held that the appointment of Vimal Kumar Shukla (supra) was valid and, therefore, ad hoc services were entitled to be counted for pensionary benefits. The relevant portion of the aforesaid judgment dated 17.9.2019 is reproduced below:-

“On specific query, learned standing counsel appearing for the State failed to show either from the counter affidavit or the material placed on record that technical qualification is an essential qualification prescribed for appointment to the post of Assistant Store Keeper. Advertisement clearly states that the essential qualification is intermediate with two years experience from recognized institution for store keeper. Persons having technical qualification shall be given preference. In other words, the technical qualification was not an essential qualification but a preferential qualification This fact is also reflected from the memorandum issued by the Directorate dated 17 August 1974. It is not the case of the respondent that the circular or the qualification mentioned in the advertisement was contrary to any Rule/Government Order and/or any circular existing on the date of advertisement.

In view thereof, stand of the respondents in the counter affidavit that the petitioner could not have been regularized as he lacked essential qualification for the post of Assistant Store Keeper is not sustainable from the material placed on record. The next submission of the learned Standing Counsel is that since the petitioner was an ad hoc employee, therefore, is not entitled to pension under the Rules read with Civil Service Regulations. The submission lacks merit.

It is not being disputed that the petitioner came to be appointed Assistant Store Keeper after facing due process for selection prescribed under the Government order, petitioner was appointed against regular pay scale and continued in service till retirement. Petitioner is duly qualified for the post. Merely for the reason that "ad hoc" mentioned in the appointment letter would not change the status of the petitioner of having rendered regular service against the sanctioned post for over three decades. In my opinion, petitioner is entitled to pension under the Rules.

The Division Bench of this Court in Hari Shankar Asopa Versus State of U.P. and another, was considering as to whether a temporary government servant appointed against the substantive post and continued as lecturer, reader and professor of surgery is entitled to retiring pension upon seeking to retire voluntarily. The Court upon considering the Articles 465 and 465A of the Civil Service Regulations read with Financial Hand Book Volume-II Part 2 to 4 made the following observation:

"16.

The requirement of employment being substantive and permanent, which is one of the three basis constituents of ''qualifying service', envisaged in Articles 465 and 465-A has ceased to be sine qua non for earning a retiring pension by service under the Government of Uttar Pradesh after 7th June, 1975 with effect from which date the Uttar Pradesh Fundamental Rule 56 (amendment and Validation) Act, 1975 U.P. Act No. 24 of 1975), amending Rule 56 of the Rules and rescinding Articles 465 and 465-A of the Regulations, has been enforced. Now the source for attaining the right to retiring pension in R. 56..........… Clause (e) of Rule 56 unequivocally recognises, declares and guarantees retiring pension to every Government servant who retires on attaining the age of superannuation or who is prematurely retired or who retires voluntarily. To be precise, every Government servant (whether permanent or temporary) who retires under Cl. (a) or Cl. (b). or who is required to retire, or who is allowed to. Retire under Cl. (c) of R. 56, becomes entitled for a retiring pension, provided, of course, the first and third conditions stipulated in Article 361 of the Regulations are satisfied."

The Court accordingly held that person appointed temporarily against a substantive vacancy is entitled to retiring pension in view of Rule 56 of the Fundamental Rules.

In Shakuntala @ Brahmo Devi (Smt.) Versus Director of Pension, the learned Single Judge of this Court was called upon to consider whether a temporary government servant rendering 34 years of service upon being compulsory retired is entitled to pensionary benefit. While deciding the issue the Government Order dated 1 July 1989, provided that government servants not rendering ten years of regular service are not entitled for pensionary benefits. The Court taking note of the provisions of Articles 361, 424, 465 of the Civil Service Regulations and Fundamental Rule 56 observed as follows:

"10...........By Government order dated 1.7.1989, it was provided that temporary Government servants who have rendered ten years regular service are also entitled for the retirement benefits. The aforesaid Government order was issued with intent to extend the pensionary benefits to temporary Government servants, which is clear from the first paragraph of the Government order. Paragraph 2 of the Government order further provides that those temporary Government servants who have completed minimum ten years regular service on the date of retirement/ superannuation or who have been declared invalid by the appointing authority will be entitled to the superannuation/ invalid pension, gratuity, family pension as admissible to a permanent employee. Paragraph 3 further provides that this provision will also be applicable in those cases where permission has been granted for voluntary retirement in accordance with the fundamental Rule 56. The Government order does not specifically provide that the persons who are compulsorily retired will not be given the benefit

11.............. Thus, the intendment of Rule 56 (e) is to provide retirement pension to every Government servant who retires or is required to retire under Rule 56. Thus the intendment of statutory Rule 56 (e) is to extend benefit of retiring pension to both category of persons, i.e., persons compulsory retired or persons voluntarily retired. From the above intendment of rule, it is clear that no distinction or discrimination has been maintained with regard to payment of retiring pension to persons voluntarily retired or compulsorily retired. Thus, by Government order dated 1.7.1989 the temporary Government servant compulsorily retired cannot be excluded from benefits of retiring pension. When the statutory Rule, i.e., 56 (e) does not maintain any distinction with regard to payment of retiring pension to persons compulsorily retired and voluntarily retired, no such classification can be created by a Government order, which is an executive order. The object of the Government order as noted above was to extend pensionary benefits to temporary Government servants who have rendered ten years regular service. Thus, the persons compulsorily retired cannot be excluded from the pensionary benefits and if it is accepted that the Government order dated 1.7.1989 creates such classification, then the said classification will be arbitrary and unreasonable. It is thus held that the benefit of Government order dated 1.7.1989, is also available to the temporary Government servants who are compulsorily retired. There is no rational basis for any such classification nor there can be any valid object for such classification."

12........The words "दस व षŊ की िनयिमत सेवा पूणŊ कर ली हो" used in the Government order dated 1.7.1989, means completion of ten years regular service. Words "regular service" has not been defined in the Government order. From a reading of the Government order, it is clear that the word "ten years regular service" has been referred to the service rendered and not to the status of employee, an employee substantively appointed and permanent is automatically entitled for pension. The Government order dated 1.7.1989 does not contemplate ten years substantive service. The word "regular service" used in the Government order is not anonymous to substantive service. Admittedly, the benefit by Government order is to be extended to temporary Government servants. The temporary Government servant cannot be said to have substantive or regular service. Thus, the word "regular service" used in the Government order dated 1.7.1989 has not been used as specifying the capacity or status of its holder rather. The word "regular service" has been used to denote and specify the nature of service rendered. The emphasis is that service should be "regular". While defining the word 'regular', the Apex Court in Mrs. Raj Kanta v. Financial Commissioner, Punjab and another, AIR 198O SC 1464, has held in paragraph 10 as under:

"To begin with, the word "regular" is derived from the word "regula" which means 'rule' and its first and legitimate signification, according to Webster, is conformable to a rule, or agreeable to an established rule, law, or principle, to a prescribed mode. In Words and Phrases (Vol. 36A P. 241) the word "regular" has been defined as 'steady or uniform in course, practice or occurrence, etc., and implies conformity to a rule, standard, or pattern'. It is further stated in the said Book that 'regular' means steady or uniform in course, practice, or occurrence, not subject to unexplained or irrational variation. The word 'regular' means in a regular manner, methodically, in due order. Similarly, Webster's New World "Dictionary defines 'regular' as 'consistent or habitual in action', not changing, uniform, conforming to a standard or to a generally accepted rule or mode of conduct'."

13.

From the above passage of the Apex Court's judgment, it is clear that service of a temporary employee should be in regular manner, methodically, in due order.

14.

Government order dated 1.7.1989 meant ten years of temporary Government servant should be regular in nature meaning thereby that if the temporary Government servant has performed his duties irregularly, i.e, with gaps of years, his service may not be treated to be regular. .......…"

The decision was considered by the subsequent Division Bench in Board of Revenue and others Versus Prasidh Narain Upadhyay. The issue before the Court was whether a seasonal collection peon subsequently confirmed is entitled to pension on rendering 36 years of the continuous service. The plea of the State-respondent that since the petitioner therein had not completed 10 years of substantive service after confirmation is not entitled to pension was rejected.

In Yashwant Hari Katakkar v. Union of India and ors, it was held that an employee who has served more than 20 years is entitled to pension and denial of retiring pension to the petitioner on the ground of not being permanent on any post clearly is violative of Clause (e) of Fundamental Rules, 56. The department cannot keep a person temporary or on daily wages indefinitely.

In A.P. Srivastava v. Union of India and Ors., the Supreme Court has clearly taken a view that in case of a temporary employee who has rendered 20 years of service is entitled to pension. In the expression 'substantive capacity' the emphasis imparted by the adjective 'substantive' is that a thing is substantive if it is essential part of the constituent or relating to what is essential. Therefore, when a post is vacant, however, designated in officilase, the capacity in which the person holds the post has to be ascertained by the State. The substantive capacity refers to capacity in which person holds the post and not necessarily to the nature and character of the post. Thus, a person is said to hold a post in a substantive capacity when he holds it for an indefinite period especially for a long duration in contradistinction to a person who holds it for a definite or a temporary period or holds it on probation subject to confirmation. ((Refer Ram Pratap V. State of U.P., Babu Singh V. State of U.P., Kedar Ram-I v. State of U.P., Ram Sajiwan Maurya v. State of U.P. and others, Kanti Devi v. State of U.P., Kishan Singh v. State of U.P., Awadh Bihari Shukla v. State of U.P.).

The Division Bench of this Court in State of U.P. and others v. Mahendra Chaubey, allowed the claim for pension of a seasonal collection amin whose temporary service was followed by substantive appointment despite the petitioner therein having not rendered 10 years substantive service after regularization.

The principle that emerges from the spectrum of the decisions is that a temporary employee appointed on the regular establishment of the Government is entitled to pension under Fundamental Rule 56. The nomenclature viz. ad hoc, temporary, daily wage/work charge is of no relevance. The incumbent must have rendered continuous regular service which certainly does mean substantive service.

A three Judge Bench of the Supreme Court in Prem Singh vs. State of Uttar Pradesh was considering the question, as to whether, Rule 3(8) of the U.P. Retirement Benefits Rules, 196115 and Regulation 370 of the Civil Services Regulation of Uttar Pradesh should be struck down having regard to the fact that the Supreme Court had upheld the pari materia provision enacted in the State of Punjab which excluded computation of the period of work-charged services from qualifying service for pension.

The appellant before the Supreme Court was a workcharged employee having put in more than three decades of service, pension was declined as the appellant had not put in 10 years of regular service after regularisation. The question posed was whether after regularization employees are entitled to count their past service. The Court made the following observations:

"29.

We are not impressed by the aforesaid submissions. The appointment of the work-charged employee in question had been made on monthly salary and they were required to cross the efficiency bar also. How their services are qualitatively different from regular employees? No material indicating qualitative difference has been pointed out except making bald statement. The appointment was not made for a particular project which is the basic concept of the work charged employees. Rather, the very concept of work-chargedemployment has been misused by offering the employment on exploitative terms for the work which is regular and perennial in nature. Payment used to be made monthly but the appointment was made in the pay scale of Rs.200-320. Initially, he was appointed in the year 1978 on a fixed monthly salary of Rs.205 per month. They were allowed to cross efficiency bar also as the benefit of pay scale was granted to them during the period they served as work-charged employees they served for three to four decades and later on services have been regularized time to time by different orders. However, the services of some of the appellants in few petitions/ appeals have not been regularized even though they had served for several decades and ultimately reached the age of superannuation.

30.

In the aforesaid facts and circumstances, it was unfair on the part of the State Government and its officials to take work from the employees on the work-charged basis. They ought to have resorted to an appointment on regular basis. The taking of work on the work- charged basis for long amounts to adopting the exploitative device. Later on, though their services have been regularized. However, the period spent by them in the work-charged establishment has not been counted towards the qualifying service. Thus, they have not only been deprived of their due emoluments during the period they served on less salary in work charged establishment but have also been deprived of counting of the period for pensionary benefits as if no services had been rendered by them. The State has been benefitted by the services rendered by them in the heydays of their life on less salary in work- charged establishment.

31.

In view of the note appended to Rule 3(8) of the 1961 Rules, there is a provision to count service spent on work charged, contingencies or non pensionable service, in case, a person has rendered such service in a given between period of two temporary appointments in the pensionable establishment or has rendered such service in the interregnum two periods of temporary and permanent employment. The work-charged service can be counted as qualifying service for pension in the aforesaid exigencies.

32.

The question arises whether the imposition of rider that such service to be counted has to be rendered inbetween two spells of temporary or temporary and permanent service is legal and proper. We find that once regularization had been made on vacant posts, though the employee had not served prior to that on temporary basis, considering the nature of appointment, though it was not a regular appointment it was made on monthly salary and thereafter in the pay scale of work-charged establishment the efficiency bar was permitted to be crossed. It would be highly discriminatory and irrational because of the rider contained in Note to Rule 3(8) of 1961 Rules, not to count such service particularly, when it can be counted, in case such service is sandwiched between two temporary or inbetween temporary and permanent services. There is no rhyme or reason not to count the service of work-charged period in case it has been rendered before regularisation. In our opinion, an impermissible classification has been made under Rule 3(8). It would be highly unjust, impermissible and irrational to deprive such employees benefit of the qualifying service. Service of work-charged period remains the same for all the employees, once it is to be counted for one class, it has to be counted for all to prevent discrimination. The classification cannot be done on the irrational basis and when respondents are themselves counting period spent in such service, it would be highly discriminatory not to count the service on the basis of flimsy classification. The rider put on that work-charged service should have preceded by temporary capacity is discriminatory and irrational and creates an impermissible classification.

33.

As it would be unjust, illegal and impermissible to make aforesaid classification to make the Rule 3(8) valid and non discriminatory, we have to read down the provisions of Rule 3(8) and hold that services rendered even prior to regularisation in the capacity of work-charged employees, contingency paid fund employees or non- pensionable establishment shall also be counted towards the qualifying service even if such service is not preceded by temporary or regular appointment in a pensionable establishment.

34.

In view of the note appended to Rule 3(8), which we have read down, the provision contained in Regulation 370 of the Civil Services Regulations has to be struck down as also the instructions contained in Para 669 of the Financial Handbook.

35.

There are some of the employees who have not been regularized in spite of having rendered the services for 30-40 or more years whereas they have been superannuated. As they have worked in the work-charged establishment, not against any particular project, their services ought to have been regularized under the Government instructions and even as per the decision of this Court in Secretary, State of Karnataka and others vs. Uma Devi, 2006 (4) SCC 1. This Court in the said decision has laid down that in case services have been rendered for more than ten years without the cover of the Court's order, as one time measure, the services be regularized of such employees. In the facts of the case, those employees who have worked for ten years or more should have been regularized. It would not be proper to relegate them for consideration of regularisation as others have been regularised, we direct that their services be treated as a regular one. However, it is made clear that they shall not be entitled to claiming any dues of difference in wages had they been continued in service regularly before attaining the age of superannuation. They shall be entitled to receive the pension as if they have retired from the regular establishment and the services rendered by them right from the day they entered the work-charged establishment shall be counted as qualifying service for purpose of pension.

36.

In view of reading down Rule 3(8) of the U.P. Retirement Benefits Rules, 1961, we hold that services rendered in the work-charged establishment shall be treated as qualifying service under the aforesaid rule for grant of pension. The arrears of pension shall be confined to three years only before the date of the order. Let the admissible benefits be paid accordingly within three months. Resultantly, the appeals filed by the employees are allowed and filed by the State are dismissed."

Applying the precedents on the facts of the instant case, it is evident from the material placed on record that petitioner was appointed in 1978 against a substantive post in a pay scale. The pay-scale came to be revised regularly. In the circumstances, it is urged that it is not open to the respondents to deny the petitioner pension discarding the past service rendered by the employee.

The Supreme Court in Prem Singh (supra) upon reading down Rule 3(8) of the U.P. Recruitment Benefits Rules, 1961, and striking down Regulation 370 of Civil Service Regulation held that in case the employee was appointed in the regular establishment and retired therefrom on rendering continuous service is entitled to count past service for computation of pension. The mandate was made applicable to all such employees who were not regularised despite rendering service on the regular establishment for over three decades.

In the facts of the case in hand, the employee admittedly came to be employed against a regular post on temporary basis. The revised pay was paid from time to time. The employee thereafter came to retire. In the circumstances, the principle of law declared in Prem Singh (supra) would entitle the petitioner for pension. "

10.

In view of aforesaid discussions of the case, I find that the case of the petitioner is also covered with the judgment in the case of Vimal Kumar Shukla (supra). The ad hoc services of the petitioner will be counted for the purpose of his pensionary benefits.

11.

Accordingly, the petition is allowed with consequence to follow. The benefit of the judgment in the case of Vimal Kumar Shukla (supra) is also extended to the petitioner with all consequential benefits of service. The respondents are directed to regularize the ad hoc services of the petitioner and pay his pensionary benefits. The order as directed above, shall be passed by the competent authority, within two months from the date of production of a certified copy of this order.”

“The very idea of equality enshrined in Article 14 is a concept clothed in positivity based on law. It can be invoked to enforce a claim having sanctity of law. No direction can, therefore, be issued mandating the State to perpetuate any illegality or irregularity committed in favour of a person, an individual, or even a group of individuals which is contrary to the policy or instructions applicable. Similarly, passing of an illegal order wrongfully conferring some right or claim on someone does not entitle a similar claim to be put forth before a court nor would court be bound to accept such plea. The court will not compel the authority to repeat that illegality over again. If such claims are entertained and directions issued, that would not only be against the tenets of the justice but would negate its ethos resulting in the law being a causality culminating in anarchy and lawlessness. The Court cannot ignore the law, nor can it overlook the same to confer a right or a claim that does not have legal sanction. Equity cannot be extended, and that too negative to confer a benefit or advantage without legal basis or justification.”

“13.

Furthermore, the case laws relied upon by the applicant’s counsel cannot be held in favour of the applicant’s case. In the case of Mala Devi (supra) relied upon by the learned counsel for the applicant, the Hon’ble Supreme Court has granted the benefit of family pension considering the applicant therein as temporary railway servant with a continuous service of one year. As has already been discussed above, the case of the husband of the applicant herein, who was just given the temporary status, cannot be equated and taken at par with a temporary railway servant simply because there is a difference between a temporary railway servant and an employee with temporary status. Furthermore, the respondents’ contention that the applicant’s husband was unscreened and was never granted regularization also cannot be ignored. Even if the applicant’s husband herein was granted temporary status, what was protected by conferring temporary status upon a casual employee was his service and by reason thereof the Pension Rules were not made applicable. This has also been explicitly held by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in the case of Chanda Devi (supra). For the aforesaid reason itself and on the strength of the ratio laid down by the Apex Court in the case of Chanda Devi (supra), the other judgments and case laws relied upon by the learned counsel for the applicant also do not support the case of the applicant by any extent.

14.

Thus, taking into consideration the law laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in the case of Chanda Devi (supra), the submissions raised on behalf of the applicant’s counsel are not acceptable and thus she cannot be allowed family pension. The instant OA is liable to be dismissed and the same is accordingly dismissed being devoid of merits. All associated MAs stand disposed of. No costs.”