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2010 Supreme(P&H) 686

PUNJAB & HARYANA HIGH COURT
M.M.Kumar and Ajay Tewari JJ.
Union Territory Chandigarh Administration
Versus
Shashi Bala
Civil Writ Petition No. 5581 of 2008,
Decided On : JANUARY 28, 2010

The Tribunal is the final Court of facts, and the proper remedy for rectification of errors on facts is to approach the Tribunal.

Headnote:

Dearness Allowance - Employment Dispute - The court held that the relief of adding the element of Dearness Allowance as paid to the regular employees was not granted to the applicant-respondent No.1, and the proper remedy for the employer was to approach the Tribunal for rectification of such an error.

Fact of the Case:

The applicant-respondent No.1, working as SS Mistress with the Chandigarh Administration, claimed Dearness Allowance in addition to the amount fixed as consolidated salary at the rate it is released to other employees. The Tribunal disposed of the Original Application holding that the first two reliefs claimed by the applicant-respondent No.1 stand already granted.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that no question of law for determination would arise and that if there is any error on facts, the proper remedy for the employer was to approach the Tribunal for rectification of such an error.

Issues: The issues revolved around the relief of adding the element of Dearness Allowance as paid to the regular employees and the proper remedy for rectification of errors on facts.

Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the Tribunal is the final Court of facts and that the employer should approach the Tribunal for rectification of errors on facts.

Final Decision: The writ petition was disposed of with liberty to the employer to move an appropriate application for correction of mistake in the impugned order or file a review application in accordance with law.

Judgment

M.M.KUMAR, J.

1. The instant petition is directed against order dated 28.11.2007 (P-3) passed by the Central Administrative Tribunal, Chandigarh Bench, chandigarh (for brevity, the Tribunal) in OA No.367/ch/2005.

2. The applicant-respondent No.1 has been working as SS Mistress with the chandigarh Administration-petitioner. She has claimed Dearness Allowance in addition to the amount fixed as consolidated salary at the rate it is released to other employees. It is pertinent to notice that the applicant-respondent No.1 has approached the Tribunal basically with three prayers, which are as follows:-

"(i) Respondents be directed to rectify the seniority number of the applicant as mentioned in the seniority list of contract teachers (SS Mistress Cadre)-TGTs issued vide Memo No. DEO-UT-Misc-2004/7480 dated 29.3.2004 (annexure A-2) keeping in view the date of joining of the applicant.

(ii) Respondents be directed to grant of minimum of the pay scale to the applicant as is admissible to her regular counter part along with its arrears etc. in the spirit of the directions of this Honble Court rendered on oa No.428/ch/2003 (Sonika Kohli V/s. UOI) on 27.08.2003.

(iii) Respondents be further restrained from terminating the services of the applicant during the pendency of the instant application."

3. The Tribunal has disposed of the Original Application holding that the first two reliefs claimed by the applicant-respondent No.1 stand already granted. The apparent basis of the aforesaid observation was the detailed reply filed on 6.7.2006. Along with the reply a copy of the order dated 24.7.2002 was also added whereby the Chandigarh Administration-petitioner is stated to have taken a decision to grant minimum of pay scale puls Dearness Allowance to the persons appointed on wholly time contract basis and the consolidated amount so determined was not to be raised thereafter during the currency of period of contract. However, in para 4 the Tribunal has made a reference to some judgment delivered by it without specifying the same. It also noticed that on the basis of the aforesaid judgment, the Chandigarh administration-petitioner has issued circular which imply that the Chandigarh administration-petitioner was to allow Dearness Allowance at the rate admissible to its employees from time to time instead of keeping the consolidated amount fixed at the time of original appointment.

4. Mrs. Lisa Gill, learned counsel for the petitioner has stated that according to the written statement consolidated salary of Rs.8,000/- is inclusive of dearness Allowance and no further Dearness Allowance is to be added as and when the same is released by the Government and is paid to the regular employees. According to the learned counsel, the Tribunal in paragraph 5 of its order has erroneously stated that the relief of adding the element of Dearness Allowance as paid to the regular employees stood granted to the applicant-respondent No.1. She maintained that neither any such relief was granted nor anything has been said in the written statement.

5. Mr. Ranjiwan Singh, learned counsel for the applicant- respondent No.1, however, has not been able to point out from the record that any relief of payment of Dearness Allowance as released to the regular employees of the chandigarh Administration-petitioner, has ever been granted to the persons working on whole time contract basis.

6. Having heard learned counsel for the parties, we are of the view that no question of law for determination of this Court would arise. If there is any error on facts, inasmuch as, the Tribunal has accepted that the Chandigarh administration-petitioner has issued circular incorporating the relief claimed by the applicant-respondent No.1, then the proper remedy for the Chandigarh administration-petitioner is to approach the Tribunal for rectification of such an error. It would not be proper for us to rectify that error as the Tribunal is taken to be the final Court of facts.

7. As a s

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