2021 Supreme(P&H) 102
IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH
JASGURPREET SINGH PURI, J.
Inamul Hasan and others - Petitioners
Versus
State of Haryana and others - Respondents
CWP No. 4867 of 2021
Decided On : 02-03-2021
For The Appellant :Ms. Shalini Atri, Advocate
For The Respondent: Mr. Naveen Singh Panwar, DAG, Haryana.
The central legal point established in the judgment is that in an outsourcing employment arrangement, the fulfillment of prerequisite qualifications specified in the appointment requisition and sanction letters is essential for the continuation of employment.
Headnote:
Outsourcing - Employment Contract - Prerequisite Qualification for Employment
Fact of the Case:
The petitioners were appointed through an outsourcing agency to work as drivers for the Health Department. The Civil Surgeon requested the outsourcing agency to replace the petitioners with another set of drivers due to their failure to fulfill the prerequisite qualification of having a valid driving license of heavy transport vehicle (HMV) for at least three years.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the petitioners were appointed through the outsourcing agency and did not have a direct contractual relationship with the State. It was evident from their driving licenses that they did not meet the prerequisite qualification of having a three-year-old HMV license. The court concluded that the Civil Surgeon's decision to request the replacement of the petitioners was not illegal or perverse.
Issues: The main issue was whether the Civil Surgeon's decision to request the replacement of the petitioners due to their failure to meet the prerequisite qualification was legal and justified.
Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the petitioners' failure to meet the prerequisite qualification as specified in the appointment requisition and sanction letters justified the Civil Surgeon's decision to request their replacement.
Final Decision: The court dismissed the petition, upholding the Civil Surgeon's decision to request the outsourcing agency to recall the petitioners and send another set of drivers.
ORDER :
JASGURPREET SINGH PURI , J.
1. The petition has been filed under Articles 226/227 of the Constitution of India for issuance of a writ in the nature of Certiorari for quashing of the impugned letter dated 18.02.2021 (Annexure P-8).
2. The learned counsel for the petitioner has submitted that the Civil Surgeon, Nuh, had asked the respondent No.4 i.e. M/s Classic Manpower & Construction Services which is a company which provides the outsource employees to the Civil Surgeon to appoint and inform two drivers on temporary basis for 89 days vide letter dated 29.07.2020 (Annexure P-1). Thereafter, sanction was received regarding three persons vide letter dated 21.08.2020 (Annexure P-2). Thereafter, vide orders dated 10.08.2020 (Annexue P-3) and 27.08.2020 (Annexure P-4), the petitioners were selected through the outsourcing agency for a period of 89 days. Thereafter, they were granted extension vide Annexure P-5 for another period of 89 days. However, vide impugned letter dated 18.02.2021 (Annexure P-8), the Civil Surgeon, Nuh wrote to respondent No.4-outsourcing agency that three drivers who are present petitioners did not fulfill the condition with regard to their driving licence and, therefore, asked the outsourcing agency to replace the petitioners with another set of three drivers. The learned counsel further submitted that it amounts to replacing of a contractual employee with another set of contractual employee and, therefore, this is not permissible under the law.
3. Mr. Naveen Singh Panwar, learned DAG, Haryana submitted that he has received the advance copy of the present petition and has also sought instructions in this regard. He submitted that firstly the present petition is not maintainable in view of the fact that the petitioners were appointed by the outsourcing agency and not directly by the State. He further submitted that vide letter dated 29.07.2020 (Annexure P-1) while seeking requisition from respondent No.4, a clear cut pre-requisite qualification has been mentioned that the driver must have a valid driving licence to drive heavy transport vehicle, as the case may be, which must be at least three years old and thereafter, vide letter dated 21.08.2020 (Annexure P-2) when the sanction was granted with regard to three persons with the same qualification with regard to driving licence were mentioned. He further submitted that when it was found that these drivers did not have pre-requisite qualification of three years of HMV, the Civil Surgeon, Nuh asked the outsourcing agency-respondent No.4 to replace them with another set of three drivers vide letter dated 18.02.2021 (Annexure P-8) and therefore, there is neither any illegality nor any perversity in the action taken by the Civil Surgeon, Nuh.
4. The learned State counsel further referred to Annexurre P-10, which are the driving licences of all the three respondents which clearly show that they got the licences for driving the heavy vehicles only in the years 2018, 2019 or 2020 and therefore, the pre-requisite of three years was not fulfilled and therefore, has prayed for the dismissal of the present petition.
5. I have heard the learned counsel for the parties.
6. The petitioners were selected for 89 days basis through outsourcing agency and, therefore, certainly the petitioners did not have any privity with the State. An express condition was mentioned in the Annexures P-1 and P-2 that the drivers must have a valid driving license of HMV which should be three years old and the petitioners also got extension of 89 days but in fact their driving licenses were not of three years old. Thereafter on detecting the same, the Civil Surgeon, Nuh wrote to the outsourcing agency to replace these drivers because they did not fullfill pre-requsite qualification of three years driving licence of HMV. It is a case where petitioners did not fulfill the basic qualification which is apparent from their driving licences Annexure P-10. Furthermore, this is not a case where a set of