IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
G. P. Mathur and A. K. Yog, JJ.
LIFE INSURANCE CORPORATION OF INDIA - Appellant
Versus
SPECIAL JUDGE (ANTI-CORRUPTION)/addl.DISTRICT AND SESSIONS JUDGE, VARANASI - Respondents
Special Appeal 37 (Defective) Of 2000
Decided On : 07/14/2000
Special Appeal - Retirement Dispute - Payment of Wages Act - Entries 22 to 24 of Concurrent List - The court discussed the maintainability of the special appeal under Chapter VIII, Rule 5 of the Allahabad High Court Rules and the jurisdiction of the appellate authority under the Payment of Wages Act. It highlighted the relevance of Entries 22 to 24 of the Concurrent List in determining the maintainability of the appeal.
Fact of the Case:
Anwar Khan, a development officer in the Life Insurance Corporation of India, challenged his retirement order claiming his age of superannuation was 60 years. The dispute arose when he filed a petition claiming wages for the period he was retired, which was allowed by the Payment of Wages Authority. The LIC appealed against this order, leading to the writ petition being dismissed by a learned single Judge.
Finding of the Court:
The court dismissed the special appeal at the admission stage, ruling that it was not maintainable under Chapter VIII, Rule 5 of the Allahabad High Court Rules. It emphasized that the jurisdiction of the appellate authority under the Payment of Wages Act was referable to an Act made by the Parliament with reference to Entries 23 and 24 of the concurrent list.
Issues: The issues involved the maintainability of the special appeal and the jurisdiction of the appellate authority under the Payment of Wages Act.
Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the special appeal was not maintainable under Chapter VIII, Rule 5 of the Allahabad High Court Rules and that the jurisdiction of the appellate authority under the Payment of Wages Act was referable to an Act made by the Parliament with reference to Entries 23 and 24 of the concurrent list.
Final Decision: The special appeal was dismissed summarily at the admission stage.
( 1 ) THIS special appeal is directed against the Judgment and order dated 1. 11. 1999 of a learned single Judge by which Writ Petition No. 34897 of 1999 filed by the appellant was dismissed.
( 2 ) ANWAR Khan fpredecessor-in- interest of respondent Nos. 4 to 11), who was working as development officer in Life Insurance Corporation of India (in short, the L. I. C.), was retired from service on 30. 4. 1979 after he attained the age of 58 years. He challenged the retirement order by filing a civil suit on the ground that his age of superannuation was 60 years. The suit was decreed and the appeal preferred by the L. I. C. was also dismissed. Thereafter, the L. I. C. filed Second Appeal No. 1662 of 1982 in this Court, which was admitted and is pending for hearing. However, no stay order was granted in favour of the appellant-L. I. C. Thereafter, Anwar khan filed a petition before the Payment of Wages Authority claiming wages for the period 30. 4. 1979 to 30. 4. 1981 and some other amounts under different heads, which was allowed by the authority on 11. 6. 1993. The L. I. C. preferred an appeal against the said order before the appellate authority but the same was dismissed on 7. 5. 1999. This order was challenged by filing the writ petition which was dismissed by a learned single Judge on 1. 11. 1999.
( 3 ) SRI K. P. Agarwal, learned senior counsel for the contesting respondents, has raised a preliminary objection to the maintainability of the appeal and his contention is that in the facts of the present case, no special appeal is maintainable under Chapter VIII. Rule 5 of the Allahabad high Court Rules. Learned counsel for the appellant has however, contended that the appeal is maintainable under the aforesaid provision. The language of Chapter VIII. Rule 5 of the allahabad High Court Rules, shows that no appeal shall lie against a judgment rendered in exercise of jurisdiction conferred by Article 226 of the Constitution in respect of any judgment or order made or purported to be made in exercise of appellate Jurisdiction under any Uttar pradesh Act or under any central Act with respect to any of the matters enumerated in the State list or the concurrent list in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution. This position of law is not disputed by the learned counsel for the appellant. The subject-matter of challenge in the writ petition was an appellate order passed by the appellate authority under the Payment of Wages act. This Act has been passed by the Parliament with reference to entries 22 to 24 of concurrent list. Entries 22 to 24 read as under:
"22. Trade unions ; industrial and labour disputes. 23. Social security and social insurance : employment and unemployment. 24. Welfare of labour including conditions of work, provident funds, employers liability workmens compensation, invalidity and old age pensions and maternity benefits. "
( 4 ) THE claim made by Anwar Khan before the Payment of Wages Authority was basically a claim for wages for the period during which he was wrongly retired and certain other amounts based upon the same cause of action and this claim was founded upon the decree passed by the civil court in his favour. The authority determined the liability of the employer, namely, the l. I. C. . under the Payment of Wages Act. This Act has been enacted with reference to Entries 22 to 24 of the Union List. Therefore, the order passed by the appellate authority which was the subject-matter of challenge in the writ petition was under an Act which has been made by the parliament with respect to matters enumerated in the concurrent list. It is well-settled that if a writ petition is directed against an appellate order passed in exercise of jurisdiction under any uttar Pradesh Act or under any Central Act with respect to any of the matters enumerated in the state List or the concurrent list in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution, no appeal would be maintainable against the judgment and order of the lear
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