Allowed

Ashok Kumar Khatik v. State of Rajasthan

Rajasthan HC27 Jan 2023CW/1216/2023

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

The High Court allowed the writ petition and quashed the order denying the petitioner minimum pay scale benefits. Citing a recent coordinate bench judgment holding that a 10-year service requirement violates Supreme Court precedents, the Court directed respondents to accord the benefit of the minimum pay scale immediately.

What did the court decide?

The respondents are directed to accord the benefit of the minimum of the pay scale to the petitioner from the date of the earlier litigation decision.

Ashok Kumar Khatik Vs State of Rajasthan — Pension and Retirement Benefits | Rajasthan HC (2023)

¶1

[2023/RJJD/002655]

¶2

HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN AT JODHPUR

¶3

S.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 1216/2023

¶4

Ashok Kumar Khatik S/o Shir Prithu Khatik, Aged About 27 Years, By Caste Khatik (Sc), R/o 4, Khatik Mohalla, Tehsil Amdala, District Bhilwara. Presently Working As Chowkidaar In Government Ambedkar Boyas Hostel Koshital, Tehsil Shara, District Bhilwara.

¶5

----Petitioner

¶6

Versus

¶7

State Of Rajasthan, Through The Secretary, Social Welfare Department, Rajasthan, Jaipur.

¶8

The Director, Social Welfare Department, Jaipur. 3. The Assistant Director, Social Welfare Department, Bhilwara.

¶9

----Respondents

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For Petitioner(s) : Mr. Mahipal Rajpurohit For Respondent(s) : Mr. A.K.Gaur, AAG

¶11

JUSTICE DINESH MEHTA

¶12

Order

¶13

27/01/2023

¶14

This writ petition has been filed by the petitioner aggrieved against the order dated 28.07.2022 (Annex.P/4), passed by the respondents, whereby, the representation made by the petitioner has been rejected.

¶15

The petitioner had approached this Court on earlier occasion by filing writ petition (being S.B. Civil Writ Petition No.4145/2022), seeking directions to the respondents to make payment of wages to him at the minimum of the applicable pay scales.

(2 of 4)

[2023/RJJD/002655]

[CW-1216/2023]

This Court, on noticing the submissions made by learned counsel for the petitioner that the issue raised was similar to Anokh Bai vs.State of Rajasthan & Ors. : S.B.Civil Writ Petition No.372/2013 & other connected matters decided on 25.04.2017 at Jaipur Bench, disposed of the petition vide order dated 17.03.2021, directing the petitioner to file representation along with copy of the judgment in the case of Anokh Bai (supra) and the respondents were directed to decide the representation within a period of eight weeks in accordance with law and the law laid down in the case of Anokh Bai (supra).

¶20

The representation filed by the petitioner came to be decided by the impugned order, whereby, the Director and Joint Secretary, Social Justice and Empowerment Department passed the following order :-

¶21

"ekuuh; U;k;ky; }kjk vuks[k ckbZ ds izdj.k eas ikfjr fu.kZ; fnuakd 25-04-2017 es prqFkZ Js.kh deZpkjh dh osru J`a[kyk dk U;wure fn, tkus gsrq in dh vko';d ;ksX;rk ds lac/k esa bl izdkj mYys[k gS & To become entitle for minimum of the pay scale, one has to show required qualification and working against the sanctioned post.

¶22

prqFkZ Js.kh deZpkjh dh U;wure 'kS{kf.kd ;ksX;rk ikapoha mRrh.kZ gSA ;kfpdkdrkZ ds vH;kosnu dk mi funs'kd] lkU;kvfo] tks/kiqj ls izkIr fjiksVZ ds vk/kkj ij ijh{k.k djus ij ik;k x;k fd Jh gLrk jke dks ekg tqykbZ] 2016 ls IysleasV ,tsalh ds ek/;e ls dk;Z ij j[kk x;k gS] ftlds vk/kkj ij ;kph yxHkx 05 o"kZ ls dk;Z dj jgk gS rFkk Nk=kokl v/kh{kd] jktdh; vEcsMdj Nk=kokl] e.Mksj] ftyk tks/kiqj }kjk dk;Z larks"ktud crk;k x;k gSA budh tUe frfFk 09-01-1994 gksus ds vk/kkj ij vk;q 27 o"kZ ,oa 'kS{kf.kd ;ksX;rk Lukrd gSA

¶23

Jh gLrk jke vuks[k ckbZ ,oa iatkc LVsV o vU; cuke txthr flag o vU; ds izdj.k esa ekuuh; U;k;ky; }kjk ikfjr fu.kZ; ds vuqlkj 10 o"kZ dh lsok iw.kZ ugha djus ds dkj.k prqFkZ Js.kh deZpkjh dh osru Ja[kyk dk U;wure osru ds fy, ik=rk ugha j[krk gSA ekuuh; U;k;ky;</u> }kjk foHkkxh; Nk=koklksa esa dk;Zjr va'kdkyhu jlksb;ka@pkSdhnkjksa ds laca/k esa fuf.kZr izdj.kksa ds fuLrkj.k gsrq foHkkx }kjk xfBr foHkkxh; lfefr }kjk Hkh ;kph dks ekuuh; U;k;ky; }kjk vuks[k ckbZ izdj.k esa ikfjr fu.kZ; ds vk/kkj ij prqFkZ Js.kh deZpkjh ds in dh osru Ja[kyk dk U;wure osru 17]700@& :i;s izfrekg ugha fn;s tkus dh vuq'ka"kk dh x;h gSA

(3 of 4)

[2023/RJJD/002655]

[CW-1216/2023]

vr% ;kfpdkdrkZ dk vH;kosnu mDrkuqlkj vuks[k ckbZ izdj.k la[;k 372@2013 ds fu.kZ; fnukad 25-04-2017 ds vuq:i ugha ik;k tkrk gSA ekuuh; U;k;ky; ds vkns'k dh ikyuk esa izLrqr vH;kosnu dk fuLrkj.k mijksDrkuqlkj fd;k tkrk gSA"

¶28

(emphasis supplied)

¶29

Learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that identical writ petitions came to be disposed of by the coordinate Bench of this Court vide its order dated 01.12.2022, passed in Kanhaiya Lal Vs. State of Raj. & Ors. (S.B. Civil Writ Petition No.3595/2022) and petitioner's case is also identical.

¶30

In the case of Kanhaiya Lal (supra), this Court has held thus:-

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"A specific determination was made by the Hon'ble Supreme Court holding that the said requirement was a result of intermingled legal position determined by the Supreme Court on the subject of regularization of employees while the issue before the Court was pay parity and that the determination was in teeth of the judgment in Daily Rated Casual Labour vs. Union of India : (1988) 1 SCC 122.

¶32

In view of the above categorical pronouncement of the Hon'ble Supreme Court on the aspect of period for which the petitioners are required to work for the purpose of getting minimum of the pay scale, the determination made by the respondents requiring the petitioners to have worked for a minimum of 10 years cannot be sustained.

¶33

In all the cases, on other aspects i.e. the minimum qualification and satisfactory working of the petitioners, the authority has held in favour of the petitioners.

(4 of 4)

[2023/RJJD/002655]

[CW-1216/2023]

In view of the above discussion, the petition filed by the petitioner is allowed. The order dated 16.11.2021 (Annex.P/2), denying minimum of the pay scale to the petitioner only on account of him having worked for less than 10 years is quashed and set aside.

¶38

The respondents are directed to accord the benefit of minimum of the pay scale to the petitioner from the date the writ petition filed in earlier round of litigation came to be decided by this Court, as indicated hereinbefore.

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Needful be done by the respondents within a period of four weeks from the date of this order."

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Following the judgment in the case of Kanhaiya Lal (supra), the present writ petition is also allowed.

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The respondents are directed to accord the benefit of minimum of the pay scale to the petitioner from the date his writ petition filed in earlier round of litigation came to be decided by this Court.

¶42

Needful be done by the respondents within a period of four weeks from the date of this order.

¶43

Stay petition also stands disposed of accordingly.

¶44

(DINESH MEHTA),J

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533-akansha/-

Ashok Kumar Khatik v. State of Rajasthan

Case brief

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Ashok Kumar Khatik v. State of Rajasthan

Case brief

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