T.Padmavathy v. The Principal Secretary To Government
BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED : 04.04.2024
CORAM
THE HONOURABLE MS.JUSTICE R.N.MANJULA T.Padmavathy ... Petitioner in WP(MD) No.4935 of 2024 M.Mari Ammal ... Petitioner in WP(MD) No.4936 of 2024 Vs
1. The Principal Secretary to Government, Higher Education Department, Secretariat, Chennai.
2. The Vice Chancellor, Madurai Kamaraj University, Palkalai Nagar, Madurai.
3. The Registrar, Madurai Kamaraj University, Palkalai Nagar, Madurai.
... Respondents in both the petitions Common Prayer : Writ Petitions filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, praying this Court to issue a Writ of Mandamus, directing the 3rd respondent to regularize the petitioners' service from 14.11.2005 with all monetary benefits in the light of the orders passed by this Court in the Writ Petition in W.P.(MD).No. 12554 of 2022, dated 01.12.2022 and in W.P. 1/7
(MD).No. 18974 of 2022 on 04.01.2024 based on the petitioners' representations, dated 07.02.2024 within the time period stipulated by this Court.
In both petitions:
For Petitioners : Mr. S.Vanchinathan For Respondents : Mr.T.Amjadkhan (R1) Government Advocate Mr.T.Cibi Chakkraborthi (R2) Standing Counsel COMMON ORDER The petitioners have filed these writ petitions seeking a direction to the 2nd respondent to regularize the petitioners services' from 14.11.2005 with all monetary benefits in the light of the orders passed by this Court in the Writ Petitions in W.P.(MD).No. 12554 of 2022, dated 01.12.2022 and in W.P. (MD).No. 18974 of 2022, dated 04.01.2024.
2.The learned counsel appearing for the petitioners submitted that petitioners are working as Clerks in the second respondent University from the year 2005. As per the resolution of Syndicate of the second respondent University, a policy decision was taken to regularise the services of those daily wagers, who had completed 10 years of service. Accordingly, the petitioners 2/7
have also completed 10 years of service in the year 2015 and they are also entitled to the above benefits. Similarly placed persons have already been given with benefits and their services have been regularised earlier. 3.In fact, similarly placed persons had approached this Court and obtained favourable orders in their favour and against which, the writ appeal preferred by the respondent University and that was also dismissed. In this regard, it is relevant to extract the relevant poritions in the Judgment of the Division Bench in W.A.(MD) No.981 of 2023, dated 25.07.2023: "4.4. Ever since their recruitment as casual labour, they have been continuously been made to discharge the duties assigned to the post of Clerk/Junior Assistant. The said fact could not be denied by the respondent University. The resolution passed by the respondent University reads thus:
"Item No.5: Considered the a) the status of Consolidated Pay Casual Labourers; b)the recommendation of the Syndicate dated 09.07.2005 to enhance the Consolidated Pay of the Conslidated Pay CLRs who have acquired an additional qualification such as PGDCA/B.Sc., (Computer Science) BCA etc., c)Casual Labour working on daily wages basis (Persons working previously in Scheme/Project) d)Casual Labour working on daily wage basis as Data Entry Operators.
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e)Computer Centre Lab Technicians.
Resolved that it be a recommendation to the Syndicate that the consolidated pay casual labourers and casual labourers on daily wages be allowed regular time scale of pay for those who have completed ten years of service as given below against to the existing vacant posts.
Clerical cadre : Rs.3625-85-4900 Class IV :Rs.2550-55-2660-60-3200 Total no. of employees under clerical cadre Total no. of employees under Class IV The remaining vacancies ie., 61 in the clerical cadre and 9 under class IV category shall be kept in abeyance." (emphasis supplied) 4.5.
Thus a careful reading of the above resolution even though mentions about the number of employees and vacancies as on that date, it can be seen that generally it enhanced the consolidated pay on obtaining additional qualification and it considered the status of consolidated pay casual labourers and it resolved that the consolidated pay casual labourers and the casual labourers on daily wages be allowed on regular time scale of pay for those who have completed 10 years of service as given below against existing vacant posts in the Clerical cadre and Class IV posts in the scales of pay mentioned therein. On the basis of the resolution, persons similarly situate that of the petitioner have also been regularised. That is, one S. Rajeswari was regularised by order dated 03/01/2012 and one S.
Paulraj & 5 others were regularised by order dated 03/10/2013.
learned Additional Advocate General that the learned Single Judge has not read the resolution in the correct perspective. 4.6. The petitioner has been kept under consolidated pay for nearly two decades and the dictum of Umadevi's case is not for the purpose of employing hands on regular basis continuously for years together and extracting work in the regular posts but on a meagre and consolidated pay. In that view of the matter, the respondent University has got no justification whatsoever in denying regularisation to the writ petitioner." 4.Since the petitioners are also similarly placed persons, they are also entitled for the similar benefit. Hence, the second respondent is directed to consider the representations of the petitioner positively, within a period of six weeks, from the date of receipt of copy of this order. 5.Accordingly, these writ petitions stand disposed of. There shall be no order as to costs.
04.04.2024 NCC : Yes / No Index : Yes / No Internet : Yes PNM 5/7
To
1. The Secretary, State of Tamil Nadu, High Education K2 Department, Secretariat, Fort St. George, Chennai.
2. The Madurai Kamaraj University, Rep. by its Registrar, Madurai.
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R.N.MANJULA, J.
PNM COMMON ORDER IN 04.04.2024 7/7