Angrej Singh v. Union of India and Ors.
Case brief
What is this about?
storage weight gain/loss norms; CAP storage of wheat; Rabi marketing season 2023-2024; policy/standard operating process dated 22.10.2021; Government of India letter dated 30.05.2022; ICAR and ICAR-CIPHET formula; retrospective application of policy to pending disputes; pending charge sheets and punishments not attained finality; recovery of shortage amounts; speaking order on representation; representation deadline 30.06.2025; no coercive action pending decision; arbitrariness and discrimination between similarly situated employees; withdrawal of disciplinary proceedings or modification of punishment; Food Corporation of India objections; Punjab State Warehousing Corporation, PUNSUP, PUNGRAIN, MARKFED, Punjab Agro employees; Coordinate Bench order dated 24.08.2012 in CWP-11967-2009; bunch disposal of CWPs (2007-2025) by Punjab and Haryana High Court at Chandigarh.
What did the court decide?
All petitions disposed of with directions: the policy/standard operating process dated 22.10.2021 and letter dated 30.05.2022 apply to all pending disputes (including pending charge sheets/punishments and pending writ petitions) between the employees, the Punjab Food Agencies and the FCI; affected employees may file representations (admissible only up to 30.06.2025) alleging contravention of the policy; agencies must deliberate per the policy, pass speaking orders, and where objections are meritorious withdraw disciplinary proceedings or suitably modify punishments; FCI's objections get like reconsideration with forum recourse if rejected and liberty to claim deducted amounts; no coercive action until representations are decided; pending civil miscellaneous applications also disposed of.