Ravi Kumar Lala Alias Ravi Lal Vs Bharat Coking Coal Limited through Its Chairman Cum Managing Director — Jharkhand HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

Ravi Kumar Lala Alias Ravi Lal Vs Bharat Coking Coal Limited through Its Chairman Cum Managing Director — Jharkhand HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Writ application partly allowed; matter remitted to respondent no.3 (General Manager, Govindpur Area) to pass a fresh order after hearing the petitioner, within 12 weeks, with consequential benefits, if any, to be calculated and paid within a further 8 weeks; pending I.As disposed of.

Issue for consideration

Whether the petitioner, having completed 8 years of service as on 01.01.1998 without the benefit of promotion, is entitled to the 1st S.L.U with effect from 01.01.1998 under clause 2.11.1 of NCWA-VI. +1 more

Ratio / Principle

The impugned reasoned order dated 22/24.11.2016 is a non-speaking order: its finding portion records only facts and does not deliberate on the petitioner's claim to the 1st S.L.U from 01.01.1998 despite completion of 8 years of service without promotion.

Key takeaways

The matter is remitted to respondent no.3, General Manager, Govindpur Area, to pass a fresh order after giving the petitioner an opportunity of being heard either in person or through his lawyer, strictly in compliance with the order passed by this Court earlier in W.P.(S) No. 891 of 2016.ratio¶22
Since the petitioner has already retired, the fresh order must be passed in accordance with law and applicable rules and regulation within 12 weeks of receipt/production of a copy of the order, and consequential benefits, if any, must be calculated and paid within a further period of 8 weeks.ratio¶23

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Jharkhand High Court (Ranchi), W.P.(S) No. 4400 of 2018, decided 02.02.2026 (Deepak Roshan, J.) — Service claim under clause 2.11.1 of NCWA-VI for grant of 1st S.L.U with effect from 01.01.1998 on completion of 8 years of service without benefit of promotion, against Bharat Coking Coal Limited. Petitioner's earlier writ, W.P.(S) No. 891 of 2016, was disposed of on 14.06.2016 with a direction to Respondent No.3 (General Manager, Govindpur Area) to consider a fresh representation and extend consequential benefits if the petitioner was found entitled. The subsequent reasoned order dated 22/24.11.2016 was found to be non-speaking — it recorded only facts and did not deliberate on the petitioner's contention. Held: matter remitted to Respondent No.3 to pass a fresh order after giving the petitioner an opportunity of hearing in person or through his lawyer, in strict compliance with the earlier order of this Court; since the petitioner has retired, the order is to be passed within 12 weeks of receipt/production of the order copy and consequential benefits, if any, are to be calculated and paid within a further 8 weeks. Writ application partly allowed; pending I.As disposed of. The Court did not itself decide entitlement to the 1st S.L.U on merits.

2026:JHHC:2659

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI

W.P.(S) No. 4400 of 2018

Ravi Kumar Lala @ Ravi Lal, aged about 62 years, S/o late Binod Bihari Lala, R/o-Lala Bhawan, Village-Nawagarh, PO-Kharkharee, PSMadhuban, District-Dhanbad ... … Petitioner(s)

Versus

Bharat Coking Coal Limited, through its Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Koyla Bhawan, Koyla Nagar, Saraidhela, PO+PS-BCCL Township, District-Dhanbad

The Director (Personnel), Bharat Coking Coal Limited, Koyla Bhawan, Koyla Nagar, Saraidhela, PO+PS-BCCL Township, District-Dhanbad

The General Manager, Govindpur Area (Area-3), Bharat Coking Coal Limited, Bilbera, PO+PS-Sonardih, District-Dhanbad

The Deputy Chief Personnel Manager, Govindpur Area (Area No.3), Bharat Coking Coal Limited, Bilbera, PO+PS-Sonardih, District-Dhanbad

... … Respondent(s)

CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE DEEPAK ROSHAN

For Petitioner(s) : Mr. M. B. Lal, Advocate For the Respondent(s) : Mr. Arpan Mishra, Advocate

Order No. 8 /Dated: 2^nd February 2026

The claim of the petitioner is that as per the relevant provision i.e. 2.11.1 of N.C.W.A-VI [National Coal Wages Agreement (in short, NCWA)] the petitioner should have been granted the 1^st S.L.U with effect from 01.01.1998 as on that date the petitioner has completed 8 years of service without getting benefit of promotion.

The petitioner had earlier moved before this Court in W.P.(S) No. 891 of 2016 which was disposed of by this Court vide order dated 14.06.2016 holding as under:

“Having regard to the submission made by the parties, I direct the petitioner to file a fresh representation before the Respondent No.3, General Manager, Govindpur Area, Bilbera, Dhanbad, annexing all the relevant documents which the petitioner is relying upon within a period of two weeks from today. The respondent no.3 in turn on receipt of the said representation will dispose of the same within a period of eight weeks, thereafter.

Respondent no.3, if comes to the conclusion that the petitioner is entitled for consequential benefits arising out of the same, it will be extended to the petitioner within a period of two weeks, thereafter. In case of refusal, reasons should be communicated to the petitioner. This writ application stands disposed of.”

1

2026:JHHC:2659

Pursuant thereto the petitioner preferred a representation and a fresh order has been passed.

From bare perusal of the impugned order/reasoned order dated 22/24.11.2016 it appears that in the finding portion only the facts are written; however, the contention of the petitioner has not been deliberated, inasmuch as, why the petitioner is not entitled to get the 1^st S.L.U from 01.01.1998 since he has completed 8 years of service without getting any promotion.

Accordingly, the matter is remitted to the respondent no. 3- General Manager, Govindpur Area to pass a fresh order after giving opportunity to the petitioner either in person or through his lawyer and pass an order strictly in compliance of the order passed by this Court earlier in W.P.(S) No. 891 of 2016.

Since the petitioner has already retired, the order must be passed in accordance with law and applicable rules and regulation within a period of 12 weeks from the date of receipt/production of copy of this order and the consequential benefits, if any, shall be calculated and paid within a further period of 8 weeks.

As a result, the instant writ application stands partly allowed.

Pending I.As, if any, also stand disposed of.

(Deepak Roshan, J.)

2^nd February 2026 Amit

Uploaded on 12/03/2026

2