2025 Supreme(Mad) 2397
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
R. SUBRAMANIAN AND G. ARUL MURUGAN, JJ.
The Government of Tamil Nadu - Appellant
Versus
Sri G.V.G.Visalakshi College for Women,
W.A.No. 1273 of 2025 and CMP No.9678 of 2025
Decided on : 23-04-2025
Important Points
Subject
Employment Law - Salary Disputes
Act Referred
Headnote
(A) Tamil Nadu Private Colleges (Regulation) Act, 1976; Tamil Nadu Private Schools (Regulation) Act, 1973 - Salary payment to non-teaching staff - The Government's appeal against the order directing salary payment to 12 non-teaching staff appointed against sanctioned posts was dismissed. The court found that the posts were sanctioned in 1977 and approved in 2022, thus the Government is liable for salary payment. (Paras 6, 13, 14)
(B) Government Orders - The court quashed G.O.Ms.No.49 and G.O.Ms.No.219, stating they do not apply to private aided institutions, reaffirming that the Government cannot deny salary based on these orders. (Paras 6, 14)
Facts of the case:
The College appointed 12 non-teaching staff in sanctioned vacancies, but the Government refused to pay salaries, citing unsanctioned posts. The Writ Court directed salary payment, leading to the Government's appeal.
Findings of Court:
The court upheld the Writ Court's order, confirming the sanctioned posts and the Government's liability to pay salaries.
Issues: The main issues were the validity of the appointments and the applicability of Government Orders to private aided institutions.
Ratio Decidendi: The court ruled that the appointments were valid based on earlier sanctions and that the Government Orders cited were not applicable to the College.
Result: Appeal dismissed with costs of Rs.50,00,000/- to be paid by the Government.
Advocate Appeared:
For the Appellant : Mr.D.Ravichander Special Government Pleader
For the Respondent: Ms. Selvi George For M/s. E.Martin Jaya Kumar
J U D G M E N T
(Judgment of the Court was delivered by R.SUBRAMANIAN, J.)
This appeal, is by the Government, challenges to the order of the learned Single Judge directing payment of Salary to the 12 non-teaching staff appointed by the Management as against the sanctioned posts.
2. According to the College, which is a recognized aided institution, there was a sanction for 34 non-teaching staff granted on 03.06.1977. The break-up of the non-teaching staff as found from the proceedings of the Director of Collegiate Education in RC No.72291/S2/77 dated 03.06.1977, is as follows:
PROFORMA
Non Teaching
Name of the College:- G.V.G. College, Udumalpet.
| CATEGORY | No. of Posts |
| Manager | -- |
| Head Clerk | One |
| Assistant | -- |
| Jr. Assistant | Two |
| Typist | One |
| Office Assistant | Two |
| Lab Attender | Twelve |
| Library Attenders | One |
| Peons | Four |
| Mechanics | -- |
| Store-Keeper | One |
| Herbarium Keeper | One |
| Watchman | Two |
| Waterman | One |
| Sweeper | Four |
| Scavenger | One |
| Gardner | One |
3. Subsequently by proceedings dated 19.12.1997 one post of Marker was also sanctioned. The College appointed 12 persons in various non-teaching sanctioned vacancies which are as follows:
| S.No. | Posts | Number of Vacancies |
| 1. | Waterman | 01 |
| 2. | Watchman | 02 |
| 3. | Sweeper | 04 |
| 4. | Scavenger | 01 |
| 5. | Gardener | 01 |
| 6. | Marker | 01 |
| 7. | Office Assistant | 02 |
| Total | 12 |
4. These appointments were approved by the proceedings of the Directorate of Collegiate Education in Na.Ka.No.15465/G3/2022 dated 04.04.2022 and Na.Ka.No.22118/G3/2022 dated 14.05.2022. Since salaries were not paid to these non-teaching staff, the College was forced to file a Writ Petition in WP No.9164 of 2024 seeking a Mandamus directing the respondents to disburse Salary to the Group-D non-teaching staff in the College.
5. The Writ Petition was resisted by the Government contending that these posts were not sanctioned posts and under G.O.Ms.No.219 dated 24.10.2003, which in turn follows G.O.Ms.No.49 dated 14.05.2002, of the Personal and Administrative Reforms (F) Department, the Aided Colleges have been instructed to outsource works relating to sweeping, scavenging, cleaning, Watch & ward etc.
6. G.O.Ms. No.49 and G.O.Ms.219 were subject matter of challenge in various proceedings before this Court and a Division Bench of this Court in Government of Tamil Nadu vs. Ramasamy Tamil College , dated 27.01.2025 made in Writ Appeal No.2348 of 2024 had after referring to the judgment of this Court in Secretary, Nirmala College for Woman (Autonomous) vs. State of Tamil Nadu, quashing G.O.Ms.No.219 and the fact that the said judgment in Secretary Nirmala College for Woman (Autonomous), having been up held by the Division Bench in Writ Appeal Nos.2096 and 2124 of 2019 vide its order dated 19.07.2019 had held that G.O.Ms.No.49 as well as G.O.Ms.No.219 shall not be made applicable to Private Aided Education Institutions both Colleges and Schools run in the State of Tamil Nadu which are governed by the two legislations namely the Tamilnadu Private Colleges (Regulation) Act,1976 and Tamilnadu Private Schools (Regulation) Act,1973. In paragraph 30 of the said order this Court observed as follows:
“30. In that view of the matter, we are inclined to dispose of this writ appeal with the following modification of the order that has been passed by the writ Court which is impugned herein:
(i) G.O.(Ms)No.49, Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department, dated 14.05.2002 shall not be made applicable to the Private Aided Educational Institutions both Colleges and Schools run in the State of Tamil Nadu which are mainly governed by two legislations stated herein above.
(ii) Insofar as the consequential proceedings that has been issued, by which the proposal given by the respondent / College Management to give approval of the appointment that has been made in the sanctioned vacancies in Group~D posts are concerned, the only reason since has been cited by the appellant Department by citing G.O.(Ms)No.49 since would not hold good, the order negating such proposals sent by the College Management also would not be sustained in the legal scrutiny, therefore, the quashment or se
