SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Article Pause Article
judgment-img

1978 Supreme(Cal) 463

High Court Of Calcutta
CHITTATOSH MUKHERJEE, B. C. RAY
CORPORATION OF CALCUTTA - Appellant
Versus
ARUN KUMAR SEN - Respondent
Original Order No. 232 of 1978
Decided On : 07/19/1978

Advocates Appeared:
AMAR NATH DAS, PRADIP GHOSH, SAMIR KUMAR MUKHERJI

The expression "appointing Authority" in Regulation 11 of the Calcutta Corporation Service Regulations should be interpreted in the context of each particular provision and there is no reason why the said expression should be assigned one uniform meaning throughout the Calcutta Municipal Act and the Rules and Regulations made thereunder.

Headnote:

CALCUTTA MUNICIPAL ACT - S. 80 - APPOINTMENT OF MUNICIPAL PLEADERS - DISCHARGE OF MUNICIPAL PLEADER DURING PROBATION - POWER OF COMMISSIONER - REGULATION 11 OF THE CALCUTTA CORPORATION SERVICE REGULATIONS - INTERPRETATION.

Fact of the Case:

The respondent was appointed as a Municipal Pleader on probation, subject to the provisions of the Calcutta Corporation Service Regulations, including Regulations 10 and 11. During his probationary period, the Commissioner, Corporation of Calcutta, discharged him under Regulation 11(b) of the Regulations.

Finding of the Court:

The Court held that the Commissioner, Corporation of Calcutta, as the Appointing Authority under Regulation 11 of the Calcutta Corporation Service Regulations, was entitled to discharge the respondent from service during his probationary period.

Issues: Whether the Commissioner, Corporation of Calcutta, as the Appointing Authority, was entitled to discharge the respondent from service in terms of Regulation 11 of the Calcutta Corporation Service Regulations.

Ratio Decidendi: The Court interpreted the expression "appointing Authority" in Regulation 11 of the Calcutta Corporation Service Regulations to mean the authority who is empowered under S. 80 of the Calcutta Municipal Act to make appointment to the post held by a particular probationer. The Court held that the Commissioner, Corporation of Calcutta, became the appointing authority to the post held by the respondent after the amendment of S. 80 of the Calcutta Municipal Act, and therefore, he was competent to discharge the respondent during his probationary period.

Final Decision: The Court allowed the appeal, set aside the order of the learned single Judge, and discharged the writ petition of the respondent.

CHITTATOSH MUKHERJEE, B. C. RAY, JJ.

( 1 ) ARUN Kumar Sen, the respondent No. 1 in this appeal and two others were initially appointed to officiate temporally as a Municipal Pleader, such Corporation of Calcutta, pending filling up of these posts permanently. On March 10, 1962 he had joined in the said post. Thereafter, the Municipal Authorities had issued advertisements inviting applications for filling up the permanent vacancies in the said posts of Municipal Pleaders. Along with others the respondent No. 1 Arun Kumar Sen, had applied. The Standing Finance Committee of the Corporation of Calcutta and its meeting held on 16th September, 1963 resolved that the present respondent No. 1, Arun Kumar Sen, and two others whose names had been recommended by the Municipal Service Commission "be permanently appointed to the three posts of Municipal Pleaders, Law Department in the grade of Rs. 200-300/- subject to the service and other allied regulations of the Corporation. " On November 4, 1963 the respondent No. 1 had joined the said post. The Corporation of Calcutta has claimed that Arun Kumar Sen, the respondent No. 1, was put on probation according to the Regulation 10 of the Service Regulations of the Corporation of Calcutta. On December 18, 1964 the Chief Law Officer, Corporation of Calcutta had recommended that the period of probation of the respondent No. 1 be extended and the Commissioner, Corporation of Calcutta by his letter dated April 2, 1965 had extended his period of probation for further one year. The respondent No. 1 and two other Municipal Pleaders had objected to the said extension of their probationary periods. They claimed inter alia that they had been permanently appointed and they were not put on probation. According to them the Order of extension of their probationary periods was illegal. On 5th July, 1965 the Chief Law Officer, Corporation of Calcutta issued a notice to the respondent No. 1 stating that he had been directed by the Commissioner, Corporation of Calcutta to communicate to him the full order passed by him. "i do not consider the work of Shri A. K. Sen, Municipal Magistrate's Court lawyer, to be satisfactory. He is, therefore, not confirmed and is discharged. He may be paid one month's pay in lieu of notice. " The respondent No. 1 had made representations against his discharge from service. Thereafter, he moved this Court under Article 226 of the Constitution of India and obtained Civil Rule No. 840 (W) of 1965. D. Basu, J. made the said Rule absolute. The learned Single Judge quashed the said order and commanded and restrained the respondents therein from giving any effect to the said impugned order. The learned Judge, however, made it clear that the respondent would be at liberty to make fresh orders in accordance with law. The Corporation of Calcutta being aggrieved by the aforesaid judgment of D. Basu, J, has preferred this appeal under Clause 15 of the Letters Patent.

( 2 ) THE principal point in this appeal is whether or not the Commissioner, Corporation of Calcutta as the Appointing Authority was entitled to discharge the respondent No. 1 from service in terms of Regulation 11 of the Service Regulations of the Corporation of Calcutta. When the respondent No. 1 was appointed the provision at S. 80 of the Calcutta Municipal Act before the same amended by S. 27 of the Calcutta Municipal (2nd Amendment) Act, 1964 was that appointments to the Corporation of Calcutta establishment shall be made by the Corporation of Calcutta, if the maximum salary of the office was not below rs. 250/ -. The Commissioner was the authority empowered to make appointments in all other cases. Therefore, when the petitioner was appointed, the Corporation of Calcutta was the authority empowered to make his appointment. Admittedly, the Standing Finance Committee had appointed the respondent No. 1 as a Municipal Pleaer, D. Basu, J. has found that the respondent No. 1 was appointed on probation and rejected his contention
















Click Here to Read the rest of this document

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
whatsapp-icon Back to top