Kerala High Court Upholds Tribunal Order: Reserve Trained Pool Service Counts For Postal Employees' Tbop And Pension Benefits - 2025-03-20

Kerala High Court Affirms: Reserve Trained Pool Service Integral for Postal Employees' Benefits

Ernakulam, Kerala – The High Court of Kerala has dismissed a batch of petitions filed by the Union of India, upholding the Central Administrative Tribunal 's (CAT) order granting significant service benefits to postal employees. The bench, comprising Honourable Justices Amit Rawal and K. V. Jayakumar , delivered the judgment on February 5th, 2025, impacting numerous postal assistants and sub-postmasters across Kerala.

Background: The Reserve Trained Pool (RTP) Scheme

The case revolves around the Department of Posts' Reserve Trained Pool (RTP) scheme, initiated in 1980 to address staff shortages. Under this scheme, selected candidates underwent training and were placed in a reserve pool, intended for absorption into regular vacancies. However, many employees faced delays in regularization, leading to a loss of service years in terms of promotions and pension benefits.

The Legal Question: Counting RTP Service

The core legal issue was whether the service period spent in the Reserve Trained Pool should be considered while calculating benefits under the Time Bound One Promotion (TBOP) and pension schemes. The employees argued that their time in the RTP should be counted, while the Union of India contended that benefits should accrue only from the date of formal regularization.

Tribunal and High Court Rulings

The Central Administrative Tribunal had previously ruled in favor of the employees in multiple Original Applications (OAs), directing the Department of Posts to consider the RTP service for TBOP and pension benefits. These orders were challenged by the Union of India before the Kerala High Court in a series of OP(CAT) petitions, which culminated in the current judgment.

Arguments and Precedents

The Union of India's counsel argued against counting the RTP period, citing differing views from other High Courts. However, the respondents, represented by Senior Advocate M.R. Hariraj and Advocate Rekha Vasudevan , highlighted a crucial development: the Postal Directorate, New Delhi, had already begun implementing a similar order from the Telangana High Court.

This implementation, prompted by a Telangana High Court common order in W.P.No.17400 of 2016, directed the Department to grant benefits to similarly situated RTP employees in Telangana. Crucially, Headquarters, Ministry of Communications Department of Posts, New Delhi, had issued a communication for implementing the Telangana High Court order, effectively setting a precedent within the Department itself.

The court also noted the previous affirmation of a similar CAT order by the Kerala High Court in OP(CAT)No.114 of 2014, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court on 10.11.2017. This established a strong judicial precedent in favor of considering RTP service.

Court's Observation and Decision

The High Court bench observed the apparent inconsistency in the Union of India's stance, noting the implementation of similar relief in Telangana while contesting it in Kerala. Recognizing the binding precedents and the department's own internal implementation of similar orders, the bench found no reason to interfere with the CAT’s decision.

> "We are of the view that it would be totally a farcical exercise in deliberating the issue on merits of the matter, when the headquarters have already implemented order in letter and spirit to grant the benefit to all such persons who have been affected by the action of the petitioners in not considering the Reserve Trained Pool period for the purpose of TBOP absorption."

Ultimately, the Kerala High Court dismissed all the OP(CAT) petitions, firmly upholding the CAT's order.

Implications

This judgment is a significant victory for postal employees in Kerala who were initially engaged under the Reserve Trained Pool scheme. It ensures that their service rendered during the RTP period will now be duly recognized for TBOP and pensionary benefits, rectifying a long-standing grievance and aligning practices across different postal circles in India. The court has directed the respondents to grant monetary benefits within three months, providing timely relief to the affected employees. ```