IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Date of Decision: 22.01.2026 LPA No.3110 of 2025 (O&M)

MANPREET SINGH .........Appellant Versus PUNJAB STATE POWER CORP. LTD. AND ANR .......Respondents LPA No.5 of 2026 (O&M)

GURPREET SINGH .........Appellant Versus PUNJAB STATE POWER CORPORATION LTD. AND ANOTHER .......Respondents CORAM : HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE ANUPINDER SINGH GREWAL HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE DEEPAK MANCHANDA Present: Mr. A.K. Virdi, Advocate and Ms. Bhupinder Kaur, Advocate, for the appellant(s).

Mr. Bhanu Partap Singh, Advocate, for the respondents in LPA-3110-2025.

Mr. Mehtab Singh Bhatti, Advocate, for the respondents in LPA-5-2026.

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ANUPINDER SINGH GREWAL, J. (Oral)

CM-11-LPA-2026 in LPA-5-2026 This is an application seeking condonation of delay of 2 days in filing the appeal.

For the reasons stated in the application, the same is allowed.

Delay of 02 days in filing the appeal is condoned.

CM-12-LPA-2026 in LPA-5-2026 This is an application seeking condonation of delay of 15 days in re-filing the appeal.

For the reasons stated in the application, the same is allowed.

Delay of 15 days in re-filing the appeal is condoned.

Main Appeals As common questions of law and facts are involved in the aforesaid two appeals, therefore, they are being disposed of by this common judgment. For reference, facts are being taken from LPA No.3110 of 2025.

2. The appellant has impugned the judgment of learned Single Bench dated 15.09.2025, whereby the writ petition preferred by him seeking appointment as Junior Engineer on compassionate grounds has been dismissed.

3. Learned counsel for the appellant submits that the appellant had obtained a B.Tech degree and was duly eligible for appointment to the post of Junior Engineer, but the respondents had arbitrarily appointed him as an Upper Division Clerk (UDC). He has referred to the instructions as well as the Recruitment Rules for compassionate appointment, which stipulate that as regards compassionate appointment, the post to be offered shall be commensurate with the qualification of the applicant.

4. Heard.

5. The father of the appellant, who was working as Engineer-in-

Chief with the respondent-PSPCL, had unfortunately expired on 19.02.2015 while in service. The appellant had sought appointment as Junior Engineer on compassionate grounds. His case was placed before the Board of Directors on 02.07.2015 and it is stated that although 36 posts of Junior Engineer were vacant, but his claim for appointment to that post was rejected. He, however, was offered appointment to the post of Upper Division Clerk (UDC), which he accepted and joined on the post of Upper Division Clerk on 16.12.2016. Aggrieved, he preferred a petition bearing CWP-21214-2017 seeking appointment as Junior Engineer, which was dismissed as withdrawn on 08.12.2017 with liberty to file fresh one with better particulars. Thereafter, he had preferred another petition bearing CWP-6747-2018, which was also dismissed as withdrawn on 25.01.2024 with liberty to file a detailed representation to the respondents for redressal of his grievance. Pursuant to order dated 25.01.2024, the appellant had filed a detailed representation on 31.01.2024 which was rejected by the respondents on 04.06.2024. Feeling aggrieved, the appellant preferred a writ petition challenging the order rejecting his claim, which was dismissed by the Single Bench vide impugned judgment.

6. It is trite that compassionate appointment is an exception to the general rule of recruitment in consonance with Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India after inviting applications from all eligible candidates. Furthermore, compassionate appointment is not a matter of right, but is a concession granted by the employer only to tide over the sudden financial hardship faced by the family due to death of the sole bread-winner. Such appointments since are in the nature of concession, as such no vested right is created in favour of such employee to claim appointment to a higher