Allowed

Khana Ram Chotiya v. State of Rajasthan

Rajasthan HC20 Jul 2020CW/2798/2020

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Single bench attained by coordinate bench’s order in S.B. Civil Writ Petition No.21214/2017 disposed the petition in terms of Hemlata Shrimali order. Petitioner was directed to submit representation within four weeks. Respondents to decide within eight weeks and accord notional benefits from date lower merit candidates were appointed.

What did the court decide?

Petitioner directed to file representation within four weeks; Respondents to decide within eight weeks and accord notional benefits from date lower merit candidates were appointed.

Khana Ram Chotiya Vs State of Rajasthan — Pension and Retirement Benefits | Rajasthan HC (2020)

¶1

HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN AT

¶2

JODHPUR

¶3

S.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 2798/2020

¶4

Khana Ram Chotiya S/o Foosa Ram, Aged About 32 Years, R/o Feench, Viya Dhundhara, Tehsil Luni, District Jodhpur. (Raj.)

¶5

----Petitioner

¶6

Versus

¶7

State Of Rajasthan, Through The Secretary, Department Of Rural Development And Panchayati Raj, Secretariat, Govt. Of Rajasthan, Jaipur.

¶8

The Chief Executive Officer, Zila Parishad Pali, District Pali.

¶9

The Vikas Adhikari, Panchayat Samiti Rohat, District Pali.

¶10

----Respondents

¶11

For Petitioner(s) : Mr. J.S. Bhaleria For Respondent(s) : Mr. Piyush Bhandari for Mr. Sunil Beniwal, AAG through Jitsi Meet App

¶12

JUSTICE DINESH MEHTA

¶13

Judgment

¶14

20/07/2020

¶15

Mr. J.S. Bhaleria, learned counsel for the petitioner submits

¶16

that for the same recruitment, Jaipur Bench of this Court in the case of Om Prakash & Ors. v. State of Rajasthan & Ors. : S.B. Civil Writ Petition No.21214/2017 , vide its order dated 21.11.2017 granted relief to the petitioners following the judgment in the case of Hemlata Shrimali & Ors. v. State of Rajasthan & Ors. : S.B. Civil Writ Petition No.3247/2015, decided on 1.4.2015, which was based upon adjudication made in the case of Suman Bai & Anr. v. State of Rajasthan & Ors. : 2009 (1) WLC (Raj.) 381.

¶17

Stating that Coordinate Bench has decided many of petitions, without issuing notices to the respondents (SB Civil Writ Petition

¶18

(2 of 4)

¶19

[CW-2798/2020]

¶20

No.21214/2017), learned counsel submits that the present writ petition may also be decided in light of judgment in the case of Om Prakash (supra). Relevant part of the order in case of Om Prakash (supra) reads thus :

¶21

“Learned counsel for the petitioners, at the very outset, submits that the controversy raised in the instant writ application stands resolved in view of the adjudication made by a Coordinate Bench of this Court in a batch of writ applications lead case being S.B. Civil Writ Petition Number 3247/2015: Hemlata Shrimali & Ors. Versus State of Rajasthan & Ors., decided on 1st Apri., 2015, relying upon the adjudication in the case of Suman Bai & Anr. Versus State of Rajasthan & Ors.: 2009 (1) WLC (Raj.) 381, observing thus:

¶22

“5. Upon consideration of the arguments aforesaid and the judgment of the Division Bench in Hari Ram and the subsequent order dated 21.7.2001 whereby clarification application of the State Government was dismissed, I find that the entitlement of the petitioner for appointment on the basis of originally prepared merit list cannot be denied. If admittedly the candidates, who are lower in merit, have been granted appointment, those who are above them in the merit cannot be denied such right of appointment. Seniority as per the rules in the case of direct recruitment on the post in question is required to be assigned on the basis of placement of candidates in the select list and when the selection is common and the merit list on the basis of which appointments were made is also common, right to secure appointment to both the set of employees thus flows from their selection which in turn is based on merit. Regard being had to all these facts, merely because one batch of employee approached this Court later and another earlier, and both of them having been appointed, the candidates who appeared 6 lower in merit cannot certainly be placed at a higher place in seniority. It was on this legal analogy that Division Bench of this Court in Niyaz Mohd.Khan

¶23

(3 of 4)

¶24

[CW-2798/2020]

¶25

(supra) held that the petitioner therein entitled to be placed in seniority in order of merit of common selection amongst persons appointed in pursuance of the same selection with effect from the date person lower in order of merit than the petitioner was appointed with consequential benefits.

¶26

I am not inclined to accept the argument of the learned counsel for the respondents No.4 to 8 that the judgment of the learned Single Judge should be so read so as to infer therefrom that though the petitioners would be entitled to claim appointment but not seniority above the candidates who are already appointed even though they admittedly are above them in the merit list. Infact, the judgment of the learned Single Judge merely reiterated the direction of the Division Bench in Hari Ram (supra) in favour of the petitioners. But construction of that judgment in the manner in which the respondents want this Court to do, would negat the mandate of the Rules 20 and 21 of the Rajasthan Education Subordinate Service Rules, 1971, which requires seniority to be assigned as per the inter-se merit of 7 the candidates in the merit list based on common selection. Even otherwise, no such intention of the Court is discernible from reading of that judgment. Mere appointment of the petitioner was a sufficient compliance of the judgment and not total compliance was the view taken by this Court also when contempt petition filed by the petitioners was dismissed. Question with regard to correct and wrong assignment of seniority having arisen subsequent to appointment of the petitioners would obviously give rise to a afresh cause of action. The writ petition filed by the petitioners, therefore, cannot be thrown either barred by resjudicata or otherwise improperly constituted.

¶27

In the result, this writ petition is allowed and the respondents are directed to treat the petitioners senior to respondents No.4 to 8 as per their placement in the merit list.”

¶28

(4 of 4)

¶29

[CW-2798/2020]

¶30

Learned counsel for the petitioners further submits that instant writ application be also disposed off in terms of the order dated 24th May, 2017, as extracted herein above. Ordered accordingly.”

¶31

In view of the aforesaid, following the judgment in case of Om Prakash (supra), the writ petition is disposed of in same terms.

¶32

For the purpose aforesaid, the petitioner shall file representation before the competent authority giving out the requisite details along with certified copy of the order instant within a period of four weeks from today. On receipt of the representation, the concerned respondent shall decide the same, in accordance with law within a period of eight weeks from the date of receipt of the representation and accord notional benefits to the petitioner from the date persons similarly situated to them and lower in merit were given appointment.

¶33

Upon consideration of the representation so filed, if respondents find the case of the petitioner to be covered by the judgment(s) aforesaid, before giving actual benefits, an undertaking shall be procured from the petitioners to the effect that his rights/entitlements shall be subservient to the fate of the judgment(s) aforesaid and in case the same is reversed or modified in any manner, he shall also be liable for restitution of any benefits/emoluments so received.

¶34

The stay application also stands disposed of accordingly.

¶35

(DINESH MEHTA),J

¶36

7-Ramesh/-

Khana Ram Chotiya v. State of Rajasthan

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Khana Ram Chotiya v. State of Rajasthan

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

What the court decided

A compact analysis

Issues for consideration

Cases cited

Parties & counsel

Coram

Case details

Similar cases

Ankit Paliwal Vs Rajasthan Public Service Commission

Chandra Sekhar Yadav Vs Rajasthan Public Service Commission

Pramila Vishnoi Vs State of Rajasthan

Indraj Vs State of Rajasthan

Narain Lal Vs State

Naresh Harijan Vs the State of Rajasthan