K.Damodaran v. The Principal Chief Conservator Of Forests

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

Dated : 09.06.2025

CORAM

THE HONOURABLE Ms. JUSTICE P.T. ASHA W.P.No. 20142 of 2025 & W.M.P.No. 22714 of 2025 1.K.Damodaran 2.R.Ponnusamy 3.A.Rajednran 4.C.Annamalai 5.N.Venkatesan 6.Micheal 7.P.Ayothi 8.K.Ramalingam 9.R.Mohanam 10.C.Palani 11.S.Govindasamy 12.V.Jayapal 13.C.Muthuraman 14.A.Gunasekaran 15.S.Elumalai 16.K.Chandran 17.J.Pandian 18.P.Ellappan 19.M.Mani 20.M.Perumal 21.Samathbasha 22.K.Murugan 23.V.Kasi 24.K.Manoharan 25.C.K.Velu 26.K.Karunakaran 1/15

27.G.Maharajan 28.D.Sampath 29.V.Damodharan 30.C.Jayavelu 31.C.Kuppan 32.C.Anandan 33.M.Chinnakannu 34.M.Devaraj 35.Balakrishnan 36.Govindan 37.P.Panneerselvam 38.P.Thandavarayan 39.M.Sundaramurthi 40.K.Jayabalan 41.K.Chinnaraj 42.A.Devaraj 43.M.Ponnurangam 44.P.Dhanapal 45.H.Ayothi 46.L.Annamalai 47.G.Sekar 48.M.Munusamy 49.C.Ramakrishnan 50.B.Kandan 51.S.Ganesan 52.K.Kannan 53.D.Gunasekaran 54.O.Athikesavan 55.A.Thirumalai 56.M.Mayakannan 57.G.Elumalai 58.A.Kesavan 59.R.Malaikuzhanthai 60.M.Kuppan 61.A.Chandran 62.M.Mani 63.T.Pillaiyar 64.K.Sivakumar 2/15

65.G.Natarajan 66.J.Kannan 67.G.Natarajan 68.V.Natarajan 69.A.Sekar 70.L.Mani 71.P.Singaravelu 72.A.Pachaiappan 73.G.Chandrasekar 74.K.Chinnasamy 75.M.Elumalai 76.S.Parasuraman 77.A.Annamalai 78.K.Annamalai 79.V.Ranganathan 80.S.Sivanesan 81.P.S.Kannan 82.S.Sakkarapani 83.M.Ramasamy 84.M.Mani 85.N.Ganesan 86.M.Govindasamy 87.K.Mani 88.K.Sekar 89.A.Subramani 90.K.Muniappan 91.A.Sundaramurthi 92.S.Boopalan 93.P.Annamalai 94.P.Neelamegam 95.A.Elumalai 96.P.Subramani 97.M.Sekar 98.T.Singaram 99.M.Appasamy 100.N.Samykannu 101.R.Nallathambi 102.M.Thirumaran 3/15

103.S.Kothandan 104.M.Muniyan 105.K.Ramakrishnan 106.S.Murthi 107.L.Indira (Legal heir), W/o.Late V.Loganathan 108.R.Jaya (Legal heir), W/o.Late V.Ramamoorthhi 109.E.Shanthi (Legal heir), W/o.Late M.Elangovan 110.K.Sathiya (Legal heir), W/o. Late M.Kesavan 111.P.Maheswari (Legal heir), W/o/Late M.Pachandi 112.D.Dhamayanthi (Legal heir), W/o.Late D.Dhanapal 113.Kalai, W/o.Late M.Mannu 114.Solai, W/o.Late G.Kasi 115.Jayarani, W/o.Late S.Arumugam 116.S. Pachiammal (Legal heir). W/o.Late K.Sekar 117.V.Kanniammal (Legal heir)W/o.Late N.Vellaikutti 118.G.Kalaiarasi (Legal heir), W/o.Late D.Gunasekaran 119.B.Parimala 120.K.Elumalai, S/o.Kuppusamy 121.E.Elumalai, S/o.Erakkutti 122.L.Kuppusamy 123.M.Kuppammal (Legal heir), S/o.Late V.Murugan 124.K.Jayavelu 125.A.Anasayenthi (Legal heir) 126.M.Venkatraman 127.T.Govindan 128.A Amavasai 129.N.Bangaru 130.R.Muniappan 131.R.Rani 132.A Rajendran 133.V.Ramalingam 134.K.Venkatraman 135.M.Pandurengan 136.D.Subramani 137.C.Ayothi 138.M.Kasiammal (Legal heir) 139.K.Pandurengan 140.E.Krishnan 4/15

141.S.Rayar 142.S.Cheliyan 143.S.Gandhi 144.S.Ruhallah 145.R.Suriyamurthi 146.K.Balaraman 147.R.Seenuvasan 148.M.Subbarayan 149.P.Ramamurthi 150.G.Palani 151.N.Subramanian 152.M.Chandran 153.P.Poongavanam 154.A.Babu 155.U.Govindan 156.K.Kandipan 157.C.Rajalingam 158.P.Durai 159.C.Sundaram 160.S.Velu 161.M.Samykannu 162.V.Arikrishnan 163.T.Rajamani 164.C.Pugazhenthi 165.K.Selvaraj 166.T.Jothi 167.P.Kolanthai 168.M.Pushpanathan 169.K.Chithambaram 170.K.Kuppusamy 171.G.Rathinavel 172.V.Periyasamy 173.T.Paramasivam @ T.Ramaparamasivar 174.V.Paramasiam 175.V. Aathimoolam 176.K.Thiyagarajan 177.M.Selvarasu 178.M.Thirugnanam 5/15

179.G.Venkatachalam 180.C.Nagappan 181.T.Suganthi (Legal heir) 182.A.Thanga Stalin 183.R.Ramalingam 184.S.Selvarasu 185.P.Kannan 186.R.Jayaraman 187.R.Karuppaiah 188.S.Kandasamy 189.C.Elumalai 190.K.Ramalingam 191.V.Subramanian 192.K.Balasubramanian 193.Arulanantham 194.M.Eattu 195.K.Jayaraman 196.V.Chinnasamy 197.S.Arumugam 198.S.Thandapani 199.A.Subramanian 200.N.Periyasamy 201.D. Ramalingam 202.P. Kengachalam 203.D. Panneerselvam 204.T Kandasamy 205.P. Natarajan 206.A. Pitchamuthu

207. S.Seenivasan

208. V.Kirubakaran 209.M Ganesan 210.G Ariyan 211.V. Shanmugam

212. Vediappan 213.K.Jayaraman 214.T. Venkatram 215.R. Vediappan 216.K.Raman 6/15

217.K.Nallarasan 218.S.Vinayagam 219.P K. Sekar 220.V Munisamy 221.Kamala (LEGAL HEIR) 222.M. Isaq 223.S Kiliyammal (Legal heir) 224.G.Munirathnam 225.D.Manickam 226.P.Mani 227.T.M.Babu 228.M. Thandavarayan 229.K. Muthusamy 230.M.Kannan 231.T.Varatharajan 232.G.Rahothamman 233.S.Syed Hussain 234.K.Jayaraman 235.M.Thiruvengadam 236.N.S.S. Mani 237.V. DOSS 238.P.Gangadurai 239.Ko Parimala 240.M.Tharuman 241.K.Arunagiri 242.M.Palanisamy 243.K. Kasi 244.P.Subramani 245.M.Sampath 246.D.Valliammal 247.I.Mohamed Vakkeel 248.M.Elumalai 249.R.Govindan 250.P.Govindan 251.K.Kannan 252.Rajendran 253.A.Pitchaikaran 254.V A. Manoharan 7/15

255.T.Elumalai 256.K.Mannu 257.E. Settu 258.M K Munusamy 259.N. Thavamani 260.P.Elangovan 261.U. Sanjeevi 262.M.Poongavanam 263.M.Narayanasamy 264.N.Chinnappa 265.M. Sampath 266.M. Ramadoss 267.V.Kanniappan 268.R.Kasi 269.M.Rajamanickam 270.K.Muthukrishnan 271.S.Kasinathan 272.G.Someswaran 273.M.Subramani 274.C. Jeganathan 275.M.Mani 276.N.Shanthi 277.D. Palani 278.V. Egashanthi (legal heir)

...Petitioners

Vs.

1.The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Headquarters of Forest Department, Guindy - Velacherri Main road, Near Kannigapuram Check post, Guindy, Chennai 600 032.

2.The District Forest Officer, Tiruvannamalai District Forest office, 122, Chinnakadai St, Pavazhakundur, Tiruvannamalai - 606601 8/15

3.The District Forest Officer, 49, Sri Kamadhenu Nagar, Moovendar Nagar, Viluppuram -605602 4.The District Forest Officer, Phase 4, Pillayar Koil Street, Sathuvacheri, Vellore - 632009 (Rangapuram).

5.The District Forest Officer Dharmapuri Collectorate, (Behind Collectorate) Dharmapuri -636705 6.The District Forest Officer Tirupathur District Forest Office, Tirupathur Road, Tirupathur - 635601.

...Respondents

Prayer: Writ Petition is filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to issue a Writ of Mandamus, directing the 1st respondent to pass orders to pay the Minimum Wages to the petitioners as per order of the Division Bench of this Honble Court in W.A Nos.2183/2012 dated 17.10.2012 and others as also followed in W.P (MD) Nos.3881 to 3884/2013 dated 14.09.2020 along with consequential payment of Dearness Allowance after due revision.

For Petitioners : Mr. Silambanan, Senior Counsel for M/s.Kaavya Silambanan Associates For Respondents : Mr. A.N.Purushotham 9/15

Special Government Pleader

ORDER

The present writ petition has been filed for the following relief : "To issue a Writ of Mandamus, directing the 1st respondent to pass orders to pay the Minimum Wages to the petitioners as per order of the Division Bench of this Honble Court in W.A Nos.2183/2012 dated 17.10.2012 and others as also followed in W.P (MD) Nos.3881 to 3884/2013 dated 14.09.2020 along with consequential payment of Dearness Allowance after due revision."

2. The petitioners herein have worked as Plot Watchers, Social Forestry Workers and Malis in the Social Forestry and Forest Extension Division and had retired from services on they attaining the age of superannuation. The learned counsel for the petitioners has brought to the notice of the Court that the Government of Tamil Nadu vide G.O.Ms.No.82 Labour and Employment (J1) Department dated 27.09.2002 has fixed the minimum wages under Schedule-II to the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, however this benefit was declined to the social forestry workers of the Forest Department in the said G.O.. Hence, the aforementioned G.O. was challenged before this Court in W.P.No.24601 of 2005 by a similarly 10/15

aggrieved individuals, wherein the learned Single Judge by an order dated 08.08.2011 had directed to pay wages under the Minimum Wages Act for the period 1999 - 2006, and this was also confirmed in W.A.Nos.2183 to 2188 of 2012 & etc., batch. Hence, they seek parity for the petitioners herein by relying on the judgment of this Court in W.A.Nos.2183 to 2188 of 2012 & etc., batch.

3. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioners and the learned Special Government Pleader appearing for the respondents.

4. The issue is whether the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act would apply to the petitioners and other similarly situated persons. This issue has come up for consideration before a learned Division Bench of the Principal Bench of this Court in W.A.Nos.2183 to 2188 of 2012 and the learned Division Bench came to the conclusion that the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act would apply to the persons who are similarly situated like the petitioners herein by judgment dated 17.12.2012. The said judgment passed by the learned Division Bench was also followed by a Co-ordinate Bench of this Court in W.P.(MD) Nos.3881 to 3884 of 2013 by duly 11/15

upholding the orders passed by the authority under the Minimum Wages Act and further directing the respondents therein to pay the minimum wages within eight weeks.

5. The fact that this Court has conclusively held that the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act would apply to the Plot Watchers worked in the Social Forestry and Forest Extension Division, is not in dispute and Mr.A.N.Purushotham, learned Special Government Pleader also fairly submitted that the provisions of the Payment of Minimum Wages Act would apply to the petitioners herein. This Court does not see any reason to further dwell deep in the matter on merits.

6. In the light of the judgment passed by this Court in the writ appeals in W.A.Nos.2183 to 2188 of 2012 and the order passed by the Co-ordinate Bench in W.P.(MD) Nos.3881 to 3884 of 2013, this writ petition is disposed of directing the first respondent to consider the claim of the petitioners for payment of minimum wages in terms of the representations said to have been submitted by them by duly calling for the service particulars of the petitioners from the concerned division and pass orders thereon within a 12/15

period of eight weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order by duly taking into consideration the judgment passed by the learned Division Bench in W.A.Nos.2183 to 2188 of 2012 and the order passed by the Co~ordinate Bench in W.P.(MD) Nos.3881 to 3884 of 2013.

7. Accordingly, this Writ Petition is disposed of. There shall be no order as to costs. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petition is closed. 09.06.2025 (1/2) Index : Yes/No Internet : Yes/No ds 13/15

To:

1.The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Headquarters of Forest Department, Guindy - Velacherri Main road, Near Kannigapuram Check post, Guindy, Chennai 600 032.

2.The District Forest Officer, Tiruvannamalai District Forest office, 122, Chinnakadai St, Pavazhakundur, Tiruvannamalai - 606601 3.The District Forest Officer, 49, Sri Kamadhenu Nagar, Moovendar Nagar, Viluppuram -605602 4.The District Forest Officer, Phase 4, Pillayar Koil Street, Sathuvacheri, Vellore - 632009 (Rangapuram) 5.The District Forest Officer Dharmapuri Collectorate, (Behind Collectorate) Dharmapuri -636705 6.The District Forest Officer Tirupathur District Forest Office, Tirupathur Road, Tirupathur - 635601.

14/15

P.T. ASHA, J, ds W.P.No. 20142 of 2025 09.06.2025 15/15