S.Rajamuthu v. The Secretary To Government,

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED: 11-02-2026

CORAM

THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE S. M. SUBRAMANIAM AND THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE C.KUMARAPPAN and W.M.P.No.32838 of 2019

1. S.Rajamuthu S/o.Subu, formerly Joint Director of Industrial Safety and Health, Old No.Y-79, New No.Y-3, 6th Street, 6th Main Road, Anna Nagar (Near Tower), Chennai 600 040.

2. Dhinakaran, S/o.Kandaswamy, Deputy Director of Industrial Safety and Helath, (Redesignated from Inspector of Factories), 27/2A2 Gandhi Road, Near Income Tax Office, Salem 636 007.

3. G.Balakrishnan, S/o.Govindan, Joint Director of Industrial Safety and Health, (Redesighated from Deputy Chief Inspector of Factories) No.22, Old Agraharam Street, Madurai -2.

4. M.V.Senthilkumar, S/o.Veluswamy, Joint Director of Industrial Safety and Health, (Redesigtnated from Deputy Chief Inspector of Factories), Coimbatore (Division), No.58,Sriyor Church Road,1st Street, Coimbatore 641 001.

..Petitioner(s) Vs

1. The Secretary to Government, Labour and Emnployment Department, Fort St.George, Chennai -9.

2. The Director of Industrial Safety and Health, T.S.47, Guindy Insustrial Estate,

Near Metro Water Rountana, Guindy, Chennai 600 032.

3. The Secretary, Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission, TNPSC Road, V.O.C. Nagar, Park Town, Chennai 600003.

4. K.Arul Additional Director of Industrial Safety and Health (Retd) Reveaha Tower, Race Cource, coimbatore 641018

5. K.Kaliannan Director of Industrial Safety and Helath (Retd), 5, Ganapathy Garden Coimbatore 641 003.

6. s.Ponsingh Mohanram, Senior Additiional Director, T.S.47, Guindy Industrial Estate, Near Metro water Rountana, Guindy, Chennai 600 062.

7. S.Muthukumar, Joint Director of Industrial Safety and Health (Retd)2/535 B.Manoranjitham Street, Selvanthi Street (Inside), 6th Main Road, Gomathipuram, Madurai 20.

8. B.Alagesan, Additional Director of Industrial Safety and Health (Retd), 23, Abdul Salam Street, Khaja Nagar, Trichy.

9. K.Manoharan, Director of Industrial Safety and Health, T.S.47 Guindy Industrial Estate, Near Metro Water Rountana, Guindy, Chennai 600 032.

10.B.Sundarm, Joint Director of Industrial Safety and Health (Retd), Arani Road, Sankaranpalayam, Vellore 632 001.

11.K.Chidambaranathan, Additional Director of Industrial Safety and Health (Retd), No.1, Deepan

Road,Semmandalam, Cuddalore.

12.G.Muralidharan, Additional Director of Industrial Safety and Health (Retd) C/o.Dr.Alli, Seelanaickenpatti, Salem.

13.s.Durairaj, Additional Director of Industrial Safety and Health (Retd) No.23, Abdul Salam Street, Khaja Nagar, Trichy.

14.R.Jeyakumar Additional Director of Industrial Safety and Health (Retd) T.S.47, Guindy Industrial Estate, Near Metro Water Rountana, Guindy, Chennai 600 032.

15.S.Ambalavannan, Additional Director of Industrial Safety and Health 5/173, State Officers Colony, Junction Road, Salem -4.

16.V.Manoharan, Additional Director of Industrial Safety and Health No.23, Abdul Salam Street, Khaja Nagar, Trichy.

17.K.Jegadesan, Additional Director of Industrial Safety and Health 525, Thalaivasal Complex, Cross Cut Road, Coimbatore 12.

18.B.Padmanaban, Joint Director of Industrial Safety and Health (Retd)T.S.47, Guindy Industrial Estate, Near Metro Water Rountana, Guindy, Chennai 600 19.A.R.Baskaran, Additional Director of Industrial Safety and Health (Retd)T.S.47, Guindy Industrial Estate, Near Metro Water Rountana, Guindy, Chennai 600 032 20.V.A.Appavusamraj,

Joint Director of Industrial Safety and Health (Retd) D.No.49, Plot No.867, Matuthavani Road, Sambakulam, K.Pudur, Madurai -7.

21.Periasamy, Joint Director of Industrial Safety and Health (Retd)T.S.47, Guindy Industrial Estate, Near Metro Water Rountana, Guindy, Chennai 600 22.Ravi, Joint Director of Industrial Safety and Health 23, Abdul Salam Street, Khaja Nagar, Trichy.

23.R.Rajasekaran, Additional Director of Industrial Safety and Health, Madurai.

..Respondent(s) To call for the records of the 1st respondent in connection with the impugned seniority list published by him in G.O.Ms.No.181 Labour and Employment (E1) Dept. Date 03/10/2019 and quash the same. in respect of the respondent 4 to 23 and direct the respondents 1 and 2 to prepare the seniority list in accordance with rules by following the quota /rota and place the Direct recruits namely the petitioners herein over and above the Promotee ......

For Petitioner(s):

Mr.K.Venkatramani, Senior Counsel for Mr.M.Muthappan For Respondent(s):

Mr.U.M.Ravichandran, Spl.G.P.

for 1 & 2.

Mr.T.Balaji, for R17.

ORDER

(Order of the Court was made by S.M.Subramaniam J.) The impugned G.O.Ms.No.181 Labour and Employment (E1)

Department. dated 03.10.2019, publishing the seniority list of Deputy Director, Joint Director, Additional Director, Senior Additional Director and Director of Industrial Safety and Health as on 31.07.2018, is under challenge in the present writ petition.

2. The writ petition itself came to be filed in the year 2019 to reverse the seniority of the promotee employees who were promoted prior to the appointment of the writ petitioners in the year 1995. The writ petitioners are directly recruited to the post of Inspector of Factories. Their contention is that the in-service candidates who were temporarily promoted to the post of Inspector of Factories have superseded the directly recruited candidates in the seniority. The fact remains that the direct recruits were appointed in the year 1995 but the in-service candidates were promoted to the post of Inspector of Factories in the year 1986, 9 years prior to the date of appointment of the writ petitioners/directly recruited Inspector of Factories. That apart, the issue raised in the present writ petition is similar to the issue raised in W.A.No1272 of 2010. Thus, in view of the order passed in W.A.No.1272 of 2010, the present Writ Petition is dismissed. No costs. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petition is closed.

(S.M.S.,J.) (C.K.,J.) 11-02-2026 Index: Yes/No Speaking/Non-speaking order VSI

To

1. The Secretary to Government, Labour and Emnployment Department, Fort St.George, Chennai -9.

2. The Director of Industrial Safety and Health, T.S.47, Guindy Insustrial Estate, Near Metro Water Rountana, Guindy, Chennai 600 032.

3. The Secretary, Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission, TNPSC Road, V.O.C. Nagar, Park Town, Chennai - 600 003.

S.M.SUBRAMANIAM, J.

AND C.KUMARAPPAN, J.

VSI 11-02-2026