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2000 Supreme(All) 732

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
S. H. A. Raza and Kamal Kishore, JJ.
MOHD.IMRAN KHAN - Appellant
Versus
STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH - Respondents
Special Appeal 25 (S/b) Of 1999
Decided On : 05/15/2000

Advocates Appeared:
Kapil Deo, PRAVIR MAHAPATRA

The central legal point established is that administrative actions must comply with the principles of natural justice and fairness, and any violation of these principles can lead to the quashing of such actions.

Headnote:

ARBITRARINESS - Employment Dispute - Article 14 of the Constitution of India - 1991 Service Rules - Principle of audi alteram partem - Natural Justice - Unilateral alteration of service conditions - Opportunity of hearing before cancellation of appointments - Quashing of administrative action for violation of Article 14

Fact of the Case:

The appellant was appointed as a Junior clerk against a clear temporary vacancy but was later disengaged from service due to unilateral alteration of service conditions without providing an opportunity to be heard.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the appellant's appointment was unilaterally altered without affording an opportunity to be heard, violating the principle of audi alteram partem and natural justice.

Issues: Unilateral alteration of service conditions, violation of natural justice, validity of appointment

Ratio Decidendi: The court held that administrative actions affecting the rights of individuals must adhere to the principles of natural justice and fairness, and quashed the orders for violation of Article 14 of the Constitution of India.

Final Decision: The court set aside the orders and directed the authorities to provide the appellant with an opportunity to show cause before taking any decision, while also ensuring payment of full salary for the period worked.

S. H. A. RAZA, KAMAL KISHORE, JJ.

( 1 ) THE factual matrix of this case as set out in the writ petition as well as the special appeal in short compass, appears to be is that on 23rd March, 1996, the appellant was appointed as Junior clerk by the Deputy Director, Social Welfare Department. Faizabad. against a clear temporary vacancy but subsequently on 3. 6. 96 after the appellant joined the service, the conditions were altered and the appellant was shown to be appointed as stop-gap arrangement in the vacancy which accrued due to suspension of one Maharana Pratap Singh. On the reinstatement of maharana Pratap Singh, the appellant was disengaged from the service on the basis of the impugned order dated 8. 8. 96. The appellants representation against the dismissal was turned down by the Director, Social Welfare Department on December 23. 1996. The appellant thereafter approached the Chief Minister for the redressal of his grievance, a copy of which was also endorsed to the Principal Secretary. Social Welfare Department on which the comments were called for by the Director. Social Welfare Department, but no final decision was taken till the date of the decision in the writ petition bearing No. 580 (S/s) of 1998 which was preferred by the appellant assailing the order of his disengagement/termination from service.

( 2 ) BEFORE Honble the single Judge, it was submitted that the appellant was appointed against a clear vacancy, therefore, unilateral change in his service conditions by showing his appointment as a sort of stop-gap arrangement was unsustainable. But the contention of the appellant was repelled by the opposite parties mainly on the ground that the Deputy Director. Social Welfare department was not the appointing authority because the power to make all appointments may be temporary, ad hoc and fortuitous in nature could be passed by the Director of the Department only in accordance with Service Rules. 1991.

( 3 ) HONble the single Judge was of the view that as the appointment Itself originated from an unauthorised person, therefore, the appellant cannot be heard complaining against his Impugned disengagement or change in the service conditions. After all the very concept of the service means, a service lawfully obtained from a legally authorised authority. Honble the single Judge was pleased to dismiss the writ petition on 4. 12. 98. Being aggrieved against the said order passed by the Honble single Judge, the appellant has filed the present special appeal.

( 4 ) NON-ARBITRARINESS is an essential facet of Article 14 of the Constitution of India which pervades the entire realm of principle of audi alteram partem of State action governed by Article 14 of the Constitution of India. The principle audi alteram partem is anti-thesis of the arbitrariness. The principle of audi alteram partem is another facet of non-arbitrariness which is embedded and ingrained in Article 14 of the Constitution of India- Any action taken by the employer against an employee must be fair, Just and reasonable which are the components of fair treatment.

( 5 ) IT is well-settled that where any statute or the rule is silent in providing an opportunity to show cause, even in administrative matters. which adversely affect the right of a person, the administrative action can be quashed for the reason that it is violative of Article 14 of the constitution of India, but such rule can be protected, if the Court read into such rules the principle of natural justice.

( 6 ) IN the present case, the appellant was appointed against a clear vacancy, but later on the conditions of his service was altered unllaterally. Without putting the appellant to notice, his services were treated as stop-gap arrangement and later on the appellant was disengaed from service. The doctrine of audi alteram partem demands that before altering the conditions of the service, the appellant ought to have been put to notice to show cause as to why his service conditions be not changed an













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