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2010 Supreme(P&H) 3076

PUNJAB & HARYANA HIGH COURT
L.N.Mittal, J.
Saroj Devi
Versus
State Of Haryana
Regular Second Appeal No. 4253 of 2010,
Decided On : NOVEMBER 17, 2010

Headnote:

Preference - Appointment of Guest Teachers - Advertisement dated 17.12.2005 - [iv) The principal/Headmaster/DDO will process all the applications received. If the principal/Headmaster/DDO receives applications more than the vacancies for that academic session, then he/she shall give preference to the applicants having higher academic merit. While appointments in the guest faculty, the preference will be given to the candidate of that very village/area. The merit list of such candidates would be prepared. If the candidate of that concerned area is not available, then, the merit list of candidates of that division will be prepared. Second preference will be given to the candidate of that division. Third preference will be given to the candidates of that district.]

Fact of the Case:

The plaintiff challenged the appointment of defendant No.5 as Guest Teacher, alleging that the plaintiff, being a local resident, deserved preference over defendant No.5, who was an outsider, based on the guidelines mentioned in the advertisement dated 17.12.2005.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the guidelines provided preference to candidates with higher academic merit, and only if the merit of the local candidate and outsider was the same, could the local candidate be given preference. The court concluded that the plaintiff, despite being a local candidate, could not be given preference over an outsider with higher academic merit.

Issues: The main issue was whether the plaintiff, as a local candidate, was entitled to preference over an outsider in the appointment of Guest Teachers.

Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the preference for local candidates could only be applied if the merit of the local candidate and outsider was the same. It emphasized that giving preference to a local candidate with lower merit over an outsider with higher merit would infringe the principle of equality enshrined in the Constitution of India.

Final Decision: The court dismissed the appeals, stating that no question of law, much less substantial question of law, arose for determination in the instant second appeals.

Judgment

L.N.Mittal, J.

1. By this common judgment, I am disposing of two appeals i.e. instant R.S.A. No.4253 of 2010 and also R.S.A. No.4254 of 2010 titled Saroj Devi v. Suresh Kumar and others as both these appeals have arisen out of the same suit.

2. Both these appeals have been preferred by Saroj Devi-plaintiff, who was partly successful in the trial court, but has been completely non-suited by the lower appellate court. The appellant-plaintiff filed suit alleging that applications were invited for appointment of Guest Teachers in schools of Haryana vide Government order dated 29.11.2005. The plaintiff alleged that in supersession of the said order, Government issued further guidelines vide advertisement in newspaper dated 17.12.2005 giving preference to candidates belonging to the same place, where the appointment of Guest Teachers is to be made, over the candidates belonging to other places. The plaintiff, defendant No.5 Suresh Kumar and four other persons applied for the post of Guest Teacher in Hindi subject of Government Senior Secondary School, Assandh, District Karnal. In the merit list, defendant No.5 was placed at Sr. No.l, whereas the plaintiff was placed at Sr. No.2 and accordingly, defendant No.5 has been appointed as Guest Teacher.

3. The plaintiff in the suit challenged the appointment of defendant No.5 as Guest Teacher alleging that the plaintiff is resident of Assandh, where the appointment was to be made, whereas defendant No.5 is resident of Villaeg Chochra and therefore, in view of guidelines mentioned in advertisement dated 17.12.2005, the plaintiff being local resident of Assandh, deserved preference over defendant No.5 being outsider. The plaintiff also alleged that defendant No.5 wrongfully and with mala fide intention got deleted on 18.12.2005 his name from the ration card of his father in Village Chochra and got inserted his name on 22.12.2005 in the ration card of his relative Vinod Kumar at Assandh. It was pleaded that applications were to be submitted up to 20.12.2005 and appointment was made w.e.f. 21.12.2005 and therefore, inclusion of name of defendant No.5 in the ration card of Vinod Kumar at Assandh on 22.12.2005 is of no use. Accordingly, the plaintiff sought declaration that appointment of defendant No.5 as Guest Teacher Hindi in the aforesaid school is illegal and ultra vires being in contravention of guidelines and the criteria issued by the Government and that plaintiff is entitled to be appointed as Guest Teacher. Accordingly, the plaintiff also sought mandatory injunction directing the defendants to appoint plaintiff as Guest Teacher in place of defendant No.5. The plaintiff also sought salary for the intervening period.

4. Defendants No.4 and 5 filed separate written statements and defendants No.1 to 3 filed separate joint written statement. Issuance of guidelines vide publication in newspaper dated 17.12.2005 was contested and denied. It was alleged that appointments were to be made on the basis of Government order dated 29.11.2005. It was also pleaded that appointment of defendant No.5 on the basis of merit list is legal and valid. It was also pleaded that name of defendant No.5 stood included in ration card at Assandh. Various other pleas were also raised.

5. Learned Additional Civil Judge (Senior Division), Assandh, vide judgment and decree dated 31.01.2009, partly decreed the suit declaring that appointment of defendant No.5 is illegal. However, relief of mandatory injunction sought for by the plaintiff for her own appointment as Guest Teacher in place of defendant No.5 and for payment of salary was declined. Both plaintiff and defendant No.5 preferred separate first appeals against the judgment and decree of the trial court. Learned Additional District Judge, Karnal, vide common judgment dated 19.10.2010, dismissed the appeal preferred by the plaintiff and allowed the appeal preferred by defendant No.5 Suresh Kumar and thereby, dismissed the suit of the plaintiff. Feeling aggri






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