The State Of Tamil Nadu v. Theni Mavatta Oyuthia

HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED: 03.08.2016 CORAM :

The Hon'ble MR.SANJAY KISHAN KAUL, CHIEF JUSTICE AND The Hon'ble MR.JUSTICE R.MAHADEVAN W.A. No.1570 of 2007 and M.P.No.2 of 2007 and W.P.Nos.49349 and 887 of 2006, 11932 and 16108 of 2007 and 14446 of 2008 1.THE STATE OF TAMIL NADU, REP. BY ITS SECRETARY, FINANCE (PENSION) DEPARTMENT, FORT ST. GEORGE, CHENNAI 600 009.

2.DIRECTOR (PENSION) PENSION DEPARTMENT, ANNA SALAI, CHENNAI.

.. APPELLANTS IN W.A.NO.1570 OF 2007 1 T.R.BALAGURU 2 K.S.BALASUBRAMANIAN 3 T.ATHMANATHAN 4 P.GOVINDHARAJAN 5 S.KANNAN 6 S.MADHAR HUSSAIN 7 R.GOPALAKRISHNAN 8 K. RAMAIYAN 9 P. THANGARAJAN 10 G.NAVANEETHAM 11 P.S. NATARAJAN 12 S.JEYARAMAN 13 S.JANARTHANAN 14 S.KRISHNAMOORTHY 15 A.SAMBANDAM 16 R.RAMANUJAM 17 M.RADHAKRISHNAN ...PETITIONER IN W.P.NO.49349 OF 2006 B. MURTHI RAJU ...PETITIONER IN W.P.NO.887 OF 2006 1 S.SHANMUGAVEL PPO NO. A751345/GA

2 V.DAKSHINAMOORTHY PPO NO. T 110194 3 P.GOMATHIAMMA PPO NO. A 955006/SW 4 A.SAVARIMUTHU PPO NO. A 891402/PW 5 V.MUTHIAH PPO NO. A A 831801/EDN 6 E.KATHIRESAN PPO NO. A A 764934/JUDICIAL 7 S.SUBRAMANIAM PPO NO. C 75208/REV 8 M.CHIDAMBARAM PPO NO. A 939664/EDN 9 G.RAJALAKSHMI PPO NO. A 939553/DN 10 S.THAYUMANASUNDARAM PPO NO. A 761138/RDLA 11 S.R.SUBBIAH PPO NO. A 780137 12 A.DEVASAKAYAM PPO NO. A 891229/PW 13 L.PADMANABHAN PPO NO. A 760879/RDLA 14 V.PONNIAH PPO NO. T 114213/EDN 15 S.V.SHANMUGANATHAN PPO NO. A 760671/RDLA 16 M.S.VEMBU PPO NO. A 761293/RDLA 17 S.LAKSHMINARAYANAN PPO NO. A 948059 18 C.GOMATHY PPO NO. A 876520/VETY

19 S.VALLINAYAGAM PPO NO. A 840361 20 P.VYTHILINGAM PPO NO. A 761215/RDLA 21 P.LAKSHMIKANTHAM PPO NO. A 818615/MISC 22 G.PARAMASIVAN PPO NO. A 810472/COOP 23 E.SUBRAMANIAN PPO NO. C 1318/REV 24 C.KANDASWAMY PPO NO. T 112266/EDN 25 P.ARUNACHALAM PPO NO. A 818509/COOP 26 S.VALLIAMMAL PPO NO. A 939655/EDN 27 E.MUTHUVEL PPO NO. A 822429/PW 28 D.VICTOR RAJ PPO NO. T 118354/EDN 29 S.SUBBIAH PPO NO. C 150/REV 30 S.ESSAKKY PPO NO. T 116464/EDN 31 K.DHARMARAJAN PPO NO. A 820472/PH 32 A.SUBBIAH PPO NO. A 939521/EDN 33 K.HARIGOPALAKRISHNAN PPO NO. T 112388/EDN 34 D.RUKMANI SHANTHA PPO NO. A 844366 35 M.MOHAMED HUSSAIN PPO NO. C 2009/REV

36 A.S.SUNDARAM PPO NO.A 761186/RDLA 37 A.RAMASWAMY PPO NO.A 76119 RDLA 38 K.GANAPATHY PPO NO.C 2346/REV 39 K.SUNDARARAJAPERUMAL PPO NO.T 118430 40 E.PARVATHI PPO NO.A 840455 41 S.GOVINDAN PPO NO.A 939536/EDN 42 S.NATARAJAN PPO NO.C 1234/HW 43 P.ESSAKKIMUTHU PPO NO.A 820267 44 S.PAPANASAM PPO NO.A 939616/EDN ...PETITIONERS IN W.P.NO.11932 OF 2007 1 SIVA SOMANATHAN PPO NO.A 757594/GA 2 S.M.JALALUDEEN PPO NO. A 814675/AGRI 3 BALA SESHAN PPO NO. A 844368 4 S.ANDI PPO NO. 891644/PW 5 K.SUBRAMANIAN PPO NO.A 844295 EDN 6 K.NAMBI PPO NO.A 970002/EDN 7 M.S.THIRUMALAI PPO NO.A 891830 PW 8 K.SHANMUGAM PPO A 882259/EDN

9 N.NAMASIVAYAM PPO NO.T 100471 10 ESWARAM JEEVARAJ PPO NO.A 800537/MEDL 11 M.RATHINAM PPO NO.T 118268 EDN 12 S.RAMAKRISHNAN PPO NO.A 833119/EDN ...PETITIONERS IN W.P.NO.16108 OF 2007 1 K.BALU, NO.4/934, SAFDAR HASMI ST, THASILDAR NAGAR, MADURAI 20.

2 B.SEENIRAJ, NO.4/495, BHARATHIDASAN ST, SADASIVA NAGR, MADURIA 20.

3 S. SHADRACH PAUL, NO.32, DEPUTY COLLECTOR COLONY, KK NAGAR, MADURAI.

4 N.R.THULASIRAMAN, NO.31, SRINIVASA PERUMAL KOIL ST, KAMARAJAR SALAI, MADURIA.

5 S.V.SUBRAMANIAN, NO.3/1394, DURAISAMY ROAD, TVS NAGAR, MADURAI-625 003.

6 A.S.VENKATESAN, PLOT NO.177, 6 ASHOK NAGAR I STREET, PALAMEDU ROAD, MADURAI 625 018. ...PETITIONER IN W.P.NO.14446/08 -vsTHENI MAVATTA OYUTHIA KOTTAMAIPPU (THENI DISTRICT PENSIONERS FEDERATION) REG.NO.37 OF 2000 THROUGH ITS PRESIDENT.

.. RESPONDENT/PETITIONER IN W.A.NO.1570 OF 2007

GOVT.OF TAMILNADU REP.BY ITS SPECIAL SECRETARY TO GOVT.

FINANCE (PENSION) DEPARTMENT FORT ST.GEORGE CHENNAI-9. ...RESPONDENT IN W.P.NO.49349 OF 2006 1 STATE OF TAMILNADU THROUGH ITS SECRETARY FINANCE DEPARTMENT FORT ST. GEORGE CHENNAI-9.

2 THE DIRECTOR (PENSION) PENSION DEPARTMENT ANNA SALAI CHENNAI-6. ....RESPONDENTS IN W.P.NO.887 OF 2006 1 THE STATE OF TAMILANDU REP.

BY THE SECRETARY TO GOVT.

FINANCE DEPT.

FORT ST GEORGE, CHENNAI 9 ...RESPONDENT IN W.P.NO.11932/07, 16108/07 AND W.P.NO.14446/08 Appeal filed under Clause 15 of the Letters Patent against the order dated 08.02.2006 made in W.P.No.32184 of 2005 on the file of this Court.

Prayer in W.P.No.32184 of 2005:

Writ Petition filed U/A 226 of the Constitution of India praying to a Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus Calling for the records from respondents relating to G.O. Ms. No.764 Finance (Pension) Department dated 27.9.1995 and G.O.Ms.No. 463 Finance (Pension) Department dated 31.7.1996 to the effect; (a) that the Impugned G.O.Ms.No.764 Finance (Pension) Dept. dated 27.09.1995 and GO.Ms.No.463 Finance (Pension) Dept. dated 31.7.1996 may be quashed with respect to the petitioner in so far as they relate to classification; b) that the benefits of Impugned GO.Ms.No.764 dated 27.09.1995 and G.O.Ms.No.463 Finance (Pension) Dept. dated 31.7.1996 may be extended to the members of petitioner association who had retired or died as the case may be prior to 1.4.1995.

These Petitions are transferred from TamilNadu Administrative Tribunal and re-numbered as Writ Praying to Prayer in W.P.No.49349 of 2006:

To call for the records of the Respondents letter bearing No.98311/pension/2000-1 dated 20.02.2001 and quash the same and further direct the respondent to grant dearness pay by taking 97% of applicants basic pay while computing death cum retirement gratuity of the applicants who retired prior to 01.04.1995. prayer in W.P.No.887 of 2006:

To call for the records relating to the G.O.Ms.No.272 Finance (pension) Department dated 15.6.1998 and to direct the 1st respondent to extend the benefit of the above said G.O. to petitioner is concern who had retired on 31.08.1991. Prayer in W.P.No.11932 of 2007:

Writ Petition filed U/A 226 of the Constitution of India praying to issue a Writ of Mandamus directing the respondent to grant Dearness pay by taking 97% of the petitioners basic pay while computing Death cum Retirement Gratuity (DCRG) of the petitioners who retired prior to 1.4.95 and pay the arrears and other consequential pensionary benefits with interest within a stipulated period.

Prayer in W.P.No.16108 of 2007:

Directing the respondent to extend the benefits of G.O.Ms.No.764 Finance (pension) Dept. dt 27.9.1995 to the petitioners retired from 1.7.1993 onwards by granting Dearness Pay by taking 97% of the petitioners basic pay while commuting Death cum Retirement Gratuity (DCRG) and pay the arrears and other consequential service benefits with interest within a stipulated period. Prayer in W.P.No.14446 of 2008:

To directing the respondent to grant Dearness Pay by taking 97% of the petitioners basic pay while commuting Death cum Retirement Gratuity [DCRG] of the petitioners who retire prior to 1.4.1995 as per amendment made in G.O M.S.NO.764, Finance (P), dated 27.09.95 and pay the arrears and other consequential pensionary benefits with interest within a stipulated period.

For Appellants in WA & for Respondents in WPs :

Mr.T.N.Rajagopalan Spl.G.P.

For Petitioner in WP.49349/2006, :

Mr.V.Suthakar 16108/2007 & 11932 and 14446 of 2007 :

Mr.S.M.Subramanian For Respondent in WA & For Petitioner in WP.887/2006:

Mr.A.R.Nixon

J U D G M E N T

(Judgment of the Court was delivered by The Hon'ble Chief Justice) It really cannot be seriously disputed before us that in view of the Judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in State of Punjab vs. Amar Nath Goyal and Others, (2005) 6 SCC 754 as also the judgment in Government of A.P. vs. N.Subbarayudu and Others, (2008) 14 SCC 702 with the latter referring to the earlier judgment, the issue raised in these matters is no more res integra.

2.Learned counsel appearing for the respondent in W.A.No.1570 of 2007 states that before the Hon'ble Supreme Court, the State Government had taken a stand that they would follow the Central Government. However, nothing can preclude the State Government from specifying a different date, even if it be so.

3.As a consequence of the aforesaid, Writ Appeal No.1570 of 2007 has to be allowed and the impugned order of the learned Single Judge dated 08.02.2006 has to be set aside, while the writ petitions have to be dismissed.

4.Accordingly, the writ appeal is allowed and the writ petitions are dismissed. The parties will have to bear their own costs. Consequently, M.P.No.2 of 2007 in W.A.No.1570 of 2007 stands closed.

Sd/- Assistant Registrar(CS II) //True Copy// Sub Assistant Registrar To 1.THE SECRETARY, STATE OF TAMIL NADU, FINANCE (PENSION) DEPARTMENT, FORT ST. GEORGE, CHENNAI 600 009.

2.THE DIRECTOR (PENSION) PENSION DEPARTMENT, ANNA SALAI, CHENNAI.

3.THE SPECIAL SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT, GOVERNMENT OF TAMILNADU, FINANCE (PENSION) DEPARTMENT FORT ST.GEORGE CHENNAI-9.

+1CC to Mr.A.R.Nixon, Advocate sr.44151 +1cc to the Government pleader Sr.44431 W.A. No.1570 of 2007 and W.P.Nos.49349 and 887 of 2006, 11932 and 16108 of 2007 and 14446 of 2008 scd[co] srg 24/08/2016