Pradeep Pandey v. State of Chhattisgarh
Case brief
What is this about?
Chhattisgarh High Court writ (WPS 561/2021, order dated 07.03.2025, Vyas, J.): cancellation without reasons of a collector-rate contractual appointment (expert, Integrated Watershed Management Programme/IWMP, Dhamtari) made 28.12.2017 held arbitrary; unreasoned termination while later-appointed staff continued; assigning a reason, even if not detailed, is the essence of administrative action; daily-wages employee has no right to post but is entitled to be told why terminated; impugned order dated 06.01.2021 quashed; fresh consideration on merit directed if contractual vacancy for Expert post persists; COVID-19 Labour Department no-retrenchment instructions (20.03.2020) and regularization directive (08.10.2020) raised in pleadings; Secretary Agriculture letter 22.06.2020; six regular appointees 16.07.2020.
What did the court decide?
Impugned order dated 06.01.2021 quashed; respondents directed that if need and vacancy persist on the contract-basis post of Expert, Integrated Water Management Project, the petitioner's case be considered afresh on its own merit in accordance with law, uninfluenced by the earlier discontinuation; writ petition disposed of with these observation and direction.