The dispute in this case relates to appointment on compassionate ground. The father of the petitioner late Sri Devi Prasad was working on the post of Messenger-cum-Driver in the State Bank of India at Haldi Branch, Pant Nagar, District Udham Singh NAgar, who died in harness on 25.8.1999. Wife of the deceased moved an application for appointment of his son Sri Raj Kumar, the petitioner, on compassionate ground. The request for appointment of the petitioner on compassionate ground was turned down by the Bank vide its letter dated 4th May, 2000 reiterated by the letter dated 15th January, 2002, Annexure 1 to the writ petition and counter affidavit respectively. The compassionate appointment to the petitioner has been denied on the ground of blemished service record of the deceased, good financial condition of the family and on being overage of the petitioner.

2. A perusal of the letter dated 4.5.2000 (Annexure 1 to the writ petition) reveals that the maximum age limit prescribed for appointment on compassionate ground is 28 years. Undisputedly, petitioner was 31 years old when the application for appointment on compassionate ground was moved. A copy of the Scheme for Appointm