2021 Supreme(MP) 420
IN THE HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH
Sheel Nagu and Anand Pathak, J J.
Salil Kumar Saxena v. State of M.P.
Writ Appeal No. 271 of 2020 (G); Decided on 8.2.2021
Subject
Employment Law - Retirement Age
Act Referred
MADHYA PRADESH STATE WAREHOUSING CORPORATION STAFF REGULATIONS : Reg.13
Headnote
State Warehousing Corporation Staff Regulations, 1962 (M.P.) -- Reg. 13 -- M.P. Shaskiya Sevak (Adhivarshiki Aayu) Sanshodhan Adhiniyam, 2018 -- S.2 -- appellant was holding post of Sub-Engineer in M.P. Warehousing and Logistic Corporation -- after completion of 60 years of age, respondents retired him and did not extend benefit of 62 years -- respondents wrongly interpreted amended Regulation 13 and denied his legitimate claim -- State Government by way of amendment in 2018 enhanced age of superannuation from 60 years to 62 years -- policies of State Government are to be applied to Corporation's employees in respect of age of retirement -- appellant entitled to back wages while treating him in continuous service -- respondents directed to reinstate him
-- he shall be entitled for all service benefits. AIR 1991 SC 2010 and 2007 SCC 524 followed. Writ Appeal No. 400 of 2016 relied on. [Paras 10 to 12
jkT; ÒkaMkxkj.k fuxe deZpkfjo`an fofu;e] 1962 ¼e-ç-½ && fofu- 13 && e-ç 'kkldh; lsod ¼vfèkokf"kZdh vk;q½ la'k¨èku vfèkfu;e] 2018 && èkkjk 2 && vihykFkÊ e-ç- ÒkaMkxkj.k rFkk ykWftfLV~d fuxe esa mi&bathfuj dk in èkkj.k fd, Fkk && 60 o"kZ dh vk;q iw.kZ gksus d¢ i'pkr~ çR;FkÊx.k us mls lsokfuo`Ùk dj fn;k rFkk 62 o"kZ dk Qk;nk çnku ugÈ fd;k && çR;FkÊx.k us la'k¨fèkr fofu;e 13 dk xyr fuoZpu fd;k rFkk mls fofèklEer nkos ls oafpr fd;k && jkT; ljdkj us 2018 esa la'kks/ku }kjk vf/kokf"kZdh dh vk;q 60 o"kZ ls cढ+kdj 62 o"kZ dh gS && lsokfuo`fÙk dh vk;q ds laca/k esa jkT; ljdkj dh uhfr;k¡ fuxe ds deZpkjhx.k dks ykxw dh tkuk gSa && vihykFkhZ mls fujarj lsok esa ekurs gq, fiNyh etnwjh dk gdnkj && mls iqu% LFkkfir djus d¢ fy, çR;FkÊx.k funsf'kr && og lÒh lsok Qk;n¨a dk gdnkj g¨xkA , vkb vkj 1991 ,l lh 2010 rFkk 2007 ,l lh lh 524 vuqlfjrA fjV vihy Øa- 400 lu~ 2016 voyafcrA ¼iSjk 10 ls 12
Anvesh Jain for appellant; Ankur Mody, Additional Advocate General for respondent No. 1/State; Shailendra Singh Kushwaha for respondent No. 2
JUDGMENT
Pathak, J. -- 1. Instant appeal is being preferred against the order dated 9.4.2019 passed by the learned writ Court in Writ Petition No.3742/2019, whereby writ petition preferred by the petitioner/appellant has been dismissed at the motion stage itself without any issuance of notice over other side.
2. Precisely stated the facts of the case are that the petitioner was aggrieved by the order dated 1.12.2018 by which the respondent No.2 intended to superannuate the petitioner on attaining the age of 60 years and did not extend the benefits of 62 years to the petitioner, in spite of the fact that Statement Government has amended the provisions of Madhya Pradesh Shaskiya Sewak (Adhiwarshikiya Aayu) Sanshodhan Adhiniyam, 2018 and by way of amendment dated 11.7.2018 enhanced the age of superannuation from 60 years to 62 years.
3. It is the submission of learned counsel for the appellant that State Government has amended the provisions of Madhya Pradesh Shaskiya Sewak (Adhiwarshikiya Aayu) Sanshodhan Adhiniyam, 2018 and passed the Sanshodhan Adhiniyam, 2018 by way of gazette notification dated 11.7.2018.
4. The petitioner is holding the post of Sub-Engineer in M.P. Warehousing and Logistic Corporation, Branch Guna. The date of birth of petitioner is 9.2.1959 and therefore, after completion of 60 years of age, respondents were causing him to retire w.e.f. 28.2.1990 whereas Finance Department of the State Government vide order dated 27.4.2018 already issued direction to the Corporation/Mandal regarding extension of the age of superannuation as per financial condition. It is further submitted that by way of amended portion of clause 13 of the Madhya Pradesh State Warehousing Corporation Staff Regulation, 1962, the policies of State Government are to be applied mutatis mutandis to the corporation's employees in respect of age of superannuation / retirement.
5. Interpreting the same, single Bench at Indore vide order dated 12.4.2019 in W.P. No.1569/2018 (Ameeruddin Akolawala v. State of M.P. and another) passed the order while considering the interplay of Madhya Pradesh Shaskiya Sewak (Adhiwarshikiya Aayu) Sanshodhan Adhiniyam, 2018 and Adhyadhesh, 2018 vis-a-vis Madhya Pradesh State Warehousing Corporation Staff Regulation, 1962 and held that the Regulation 13 and its amended provision deserves to be applied in respect of age of superannuation and letter of finance department cannot be pressed into service in view of the amended Regulation 13 of the Madhya Pradesh State Warehousing Corporation Staff Regulation, 1962. The said order was put to challenge along with other identical matters and Division Bench at Principal Seat, Jabalpur in bunch of writ appeals (W.A. No.1088/2019 and other identical matters) decided vide order dated 15.11.2019, upheld the findings of Single Bench in respect of superannuation and dismissed the appeals preferred by the corporation. In other words, age of superannuation of employees of corporation was held to be 62 years.
6. In the backdrop of above factual matrix, grievance of the petitioner is that learned writ Court erred in passing the impugned order without considering the import of Regulation 13, therefore, caused illegality.
7. Learned Additional Advocate General for the respondent/State opposed the prayer and prayed for dismissal of this appeal.
8. Learned counsel for the respondent No.2 filed reply contents of which are more tangential then substantive, but prayer is in respect of dismissal of this appeal.
9. Heard learned counsel for the parties through V.C. and perused the record.
10. This is the case where appellant/petitioner is seeking redressal of the grievance whereby he was superannuated after attainment of 60 years of age whereas Regulation 13 of Madhya Pradesh State Warehousing Corporation Staff Regulation, 1962 mandates in categorical terms that it would be applicable mutatis mutandis as per State Government Policies. Amended portion of the policy is reproduced for ready reference.