Rs.10680-1650 (Grade Pay) plus other admissible allowances. Counsel contends that the petitioner was not paid salary for a period of 7 months and as such, was constrained to leave the office on 28.04.2014 as he could not manage his expenses. Having returned home, petitioner developed a health ailment and went into depression on account of adverse family circumstances. Counsel submits that the petitioner, as such, was not in a condition to submit the medical reports to the department as also to timely respond to the letters issued by the department for him to join service. It is, however, urged that various leave applications had been submitted to the department and the petitioner being a Class IV employee was under the impression that the leave had been duly sanctioned. Subsequently, petitioner became aware that his services had been dispensed with and upon having recovered from his illness, an appeal was preferred but the same has been declined only on the ground of delay holding the same to be time barred. It is argued that the respondent/authorities have acted arbitrarily and have failed to appreciate the factual position that petitioner was forced to leave the place of duty as he had not been paid salary for 7 months. Thereafter, it was on account of his health ailment and having been advised bed rest that he could not join duty. Case set up on behalf of the petitioner is that absence from duty was not willful. Counsel further contends that the Appellate Authority ought not to have dismissed the appeal on a mere technicality being time barred but should have adopted a sympathetic attitude in view of the fact that the petitioner was a dam oustee and his employment on a Class IV post was the sole means of sustenance.
