JUDGMENT :

(J.J. Munir, J.)

This writ petition is directed against an order of the Chief General Manager, Pradeshik Cooperative Dairy Federation Limited, Lucknow dated 10.3.2016, punishing the petitioner with reduction to his basic scale, after disciplinary proceedings.

2. The petitioner is a retired employee of the Pradeshik Cooperative Dairy Federation (for short, 'PCDF'), which is a State Government undertaking, funded and supported by the Government in the Ministry of Dairy Development. The petitioner appears to have joined the PCDF in the year 1985 on the post of an Accounts Assistant at District Varanasi as a regular employee. He put in more than thirty years' service before superannuating on 31.8.2017. At the time of his retirement, he was posted as an Accounts Assistant with the Cattle Feed Factory, PCDF, Ram Nagar, Varanasi. The petitioner says that he had an unblemished career until the fateful proceedings. Disciplinary proceedings were instituted against the petitioner on the 12th of August, 2013. He was suspended from service pending inquiry. An Inquiry Officer was appointed. The Inquiry Officer served the petitioner with a charge-sheet, carrying a total of seven charges.