T.Pushparaj, v. The Director Of Collegiate
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED 02.11.2017
CORAM
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE T.RAJA W.P.No.28038 of 2017 T.Pushparaj
...Petitioner
Versus
1. Director of Collegiate Education, College Road, Chennai-6.
2. The Joint Director of Collegiate Education, Thirunelveli Region, Thirunelveli-627 007.
3. The Correspondent/Secretaty, Scott Christian College, Nagercoil-629 003 Kanyakumari District.
... Respondents Prayer:
Writ Petition is filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying to issue a Writ of Mandamus, directing the respondents 1 and 2 herein to approve the appointment of the petitioner as Office Assistant in the Scott Christian College, Nagercoil, in the sanctioned vacancy caused by promotion of Mr.H.David Raj w.e.f. 07.10.2016 with all attendant, monetary and service benefits.
For Petitioner : Mr.P.Ganesan For Respondents : Mr.P.Sanjay Gandhi, 1 and 2 Additional Government Pleader For 3rd respondent : Mr.S.Bharthirajan
O R D E R
The present Writ Petition has been filed seeking to issue a Writ of Mandamus, directing the respondents 1 and 2 herein to approve the appointment of the petitioner as Office Assistant in the Scott Christian College, Nagercoil, in the sanctioned vacancy which was caused by promotion of Mr.H.David Raj w.e.f. 07.10.2016 with all attendant, monetary and service benefits. 2.
The case of the petitioner is that he was appointed as
Office Assistant in the 3rd respondent College on 07.10.2016 in the sanctioned vacancy which arose due to the promotion of one incumbent, namely, Mr.David Raja. The appointment of the petitioner was duly approved by the College Committee and a proposal for approval of appointment of the petitioner was submitted by the 3rd respondent along with necessary documents to the respondents 1 and 2 on 31.10.2016. Since the same has not been considered, the petitioner has also given a representation dated 20.07.2017 to the respondents 1 and 2 followed by the remainder of the 3rd respondent college dated 31.07.2017. Since no action has been taken on the same, the petitioner is before this Court with this Writ Petition.
3.
The learned Counsel for the petitioner submitted that the issue in dispute is covered by a decision of this Court passed in W.P.No.29998/2014 etc. batch, dated 17.03.2017. A perusal of the same shows that there is no requirement under the Tamil Nadu Private Colleges (Regulation) Act, 1976 and Tamil Nadu Private Colleges(Regulation) Rules, 1976 to seek prior permission to fill up any vacant post in an aided college, which has already been sanctioned for the academic year. The relevant portion is extracted here under :
''4. The issue involved in these writ petitions for filling up of vacancies against the sanctioned strength of Non-teaching staff by the Minority Institutions is no longer res integra, for, a Division Bench of this Court, even three years ago, in P.Ravichandran v. State of Tamil Nadu and others reported in [(2013) 7 MLJ 641], has settled that issue and, following the said judgment, I have also, in a batch of writ petitions, i.e., in W.P.(MD)Nos.14115 to 14119 of 2016 etc. (batch cases), (decided on 19.08.2016), ordered the official respondents therein to accord approval for filling up of the vacancies against sanctioned posts of non-teaching Staff by the Private Aided Schools. For better appreciation, relevant portions of the order passed by me are extracted below:- "2.
With regard to the legal position in respect of minority institutions, whether prior permission should be obtained before filling up any vacancy in a sanctioned Post, the Honourable Division Bench of this Court even three years ago, in P.Ravichandran v. State of Tamil Nadu and others reported in (2013) 7 MLJ 641, has settled the issue. It is relevant to extract paragraph Nos.
17. A Division Bench of Madurai Bench of this Court in W.A(MD)No.462 of 2006, judgment, dated 01.12.2006, considered the scope of Rule 11(1) of the Tamil Nadu Private Colleges(Regulation) Rules, 1976 relying upon the earlier order passed on 13.08.2006, and held that for filling up an existing post in a Private Aided College, no prior approval is necessary
as any such appointment shall be subsequently approved by the Department, and at that point of time the Department would have an opportunity to consider the availability of such post and rejection of approval on the ground that no prior approval was obtained before appointment, was set aside. Same is the view taken in the following orders of this Court .
(i) W.P.No.30618 of 2005, order dated 21.09.2005; (ii) W.P.No.28396 of 2004, order dated 29.03.2006; (iii) W.A.Nos.92 & 93 of 2008, judgment dated 06.01.2010;
(iv)W.P(MD)No.174 of 2009, order dated 27.04.2010; (v) W.A.Nos.140, 811/2006 & 805/2007, judgment dt. 21.10.2010;
(vi)W.A.No.2858 of 2010, judgment dated 21.03.2011;
(vii) W.A(MD)Nos.1088 of 2011, judgment dated 19.10.2011;
(viii) W.A.Nos.2345 of 2011, judgment dated 05.03.2012;
(ix) Dr.S.Sukumaran v. State of Tamil Nadu, (2012) 5 MLJ 670 rendered by one of us (NPVJ); and (x) W.A.No.474 of 2013, judgment dated 03.04.2013. Thus, the issue regarding seeking prior permission for filling up the vacant post in aided College within the academic year was already settled in series of decisions and all the above said orders are implemented by the respondents 1 and 2. In such circumstances, it is not open to the respondents to again and again contend that only after getting prior permission from the Director of Collegiate Education, vacant sanctioned posts can be filled up by the management.
.....
20. In the light of the above findings as well as the decisions, we conclude this judgment in the following manner:
(1) There is no requirement under the Tamil Nadu Private Colleges (Regulation) Act, 1976 and Tamil Nadu Private Colleges(Regulation) Rules, 1976, to seek prior permission to fill up any vacant post in an aided college, which has already been sanctioned for the academic year by the Director of Collegiate Education under Rule 11(1) of the Rules.
(2) If the appointment made by the College Committee in the sanctioned vacant post is in violation of any of the statutory provision, it is open to the Regional Joint Director of Collegiate Education to deny grant-in-aid to the said person appointed in the vacant post.
(3) The teaching staff appointed must be fully qualified, whose qualification is approved by the University to which the college is affiliated. Insofar as the non-teaching staff are concerned, the candidate must possess the qualification prescribed by the Government.
(4) The College Committee while filling up the
vacant post, should follow the procedures stated in Rule 11(1A) to 11(4)(ii).
(5) If there is no rival candidate for any post, the appointment is bound to be approved for the purpose of payment of pay and allowances, by the Regional Joint Director of Collegiate Education.
The writ appeal is disposed of with the above directions. No Costs.
3.A cursory reading of the aforementioned Honourable Division Bench judgment in (2013) 7 MLJ 641, clearly shows that the issue raised in the present Writ Petitions, is no longer res integra, because the Honourable Division Bench of this court in the aforementioned judgment has also made it clear that there is no requirement under the Tamil Nadu Private Colleges (Regulation) Act, 1976 and Tamil Nadu Private Colleges(Regulation) Rules, 1976, to seek prior permission to fill up any vacant post in an aided college, which has already been sanctioned for the academic year by the Director of Collegiate Education under Rule 11(1) of the Rules.
4. Therefore, the issues raised in the present Writ Petitions having been settled by this Court, I have no hesitation to accept the prayer made by the petitioners.
5. In the result, (i) All the Writ Petitions are allowed.
(ii) The impugned orders are set aside.
(iii) The respective respondents are directed to approve the appointments of non-teaching staff in the Private Aided Schools in these cases and to sanction grant, within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order."
5. Thus, the issue is well settled now that any college, either minority/private/aided or unaided, is entitled to fill up the vacancy arising on account of promotion, retirement, removal, dismissal etc., against a sanctioned post already approved by the college authorities, without even obtaining prior permission from the Government. In the cases on hand, admittedly, the writ petitioners have been appointed against vacancies relating to sanctioned posts as Non-teaching staff in various cadres and therefore, by following the above cited case laws, this Court hereby directs the respective respondents to approve the appointments of the Non-teaching staff by the Private Aided colleges and to sanction the grant within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. In fine, for the reasons stated above, the writ petitions are allowed by quashing the impugned orders.
No Costs.
Consequently, connected miscellaneous petitions are closed.''
4.
In view of all the above, the Writ Petition is disposed of with a direction to the respondents 1 and 2 to approve the
appointment of the petitioner in the regular sanctioned post of Office Assistant in the 3rd respondent college from the date of his appointment dated 07.10.2016 and the respondents are also directed to pay the salary and all other monetary and service benefits to the petitioner from the date of his appointment. No costs. Sd/- Assistant Registrar(CCC) //True Copy// Sub Assistant Registrar tsi To
1. Director of Collegiate Education, College Road, Chennai-6.
2. The Joint Director of Collegiate Education, Thirunelveli Region, Thirunelveli-627 007.
+1cc to Mr.P.Ganesan, Advocate, S.R.No.77596 +1cc to Mr.S.Bharathi Rajan, Advocate, S.R.No.77597 +1cc to the Government Pleader, S.R.No.78304 W.P.No.28038/2017 MN(CO) GN(16/11/2017)