Citation : 2023 Latest Caselaw 6297 Kant
Judgement Date : 5 September, 2023
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IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA,
KALABURAGI BENCH
DATED THIS THE 5TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2023
PRESENT
THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE MOHAMMAD NAWAZ
AND
THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE RAJESH RAI K
WRIT APPEAL NO.200037 OF 2023 (S-RES)
BETWEEN
1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA,
THROUGH ITS SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT
SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT,
M.S. BUILDING BENGALURU-01.
2. THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER,
BIDAR-585401.
3. THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER,
BIDAR DISTRICT, BIDAR-585401.
4. THE COMMISSIONER,
SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT,
BENGALURU-560001.
Digitally signed by
SOMANATH
PENTAPPA MITTE 5. THE DIRECTOR,
Location: HIGH
COURT OF SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT,
KARNATAKA BIDAR-585401.
6.THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR,
SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT,
BIDAR-585401.
...APPELLANTS
(BY SRI. MALLIKARUN BASAREDDY, GOVT. ADV.)
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AND
1. KAILASH S/O BASAVARAJ BURUD,
AGED ABOUT 25 YEARS,
OCC. NIL,
R/O AT POSTT HALLIKHED -B,
TQ: HUMNABAD DIST:BIDAR.
2. THE ZILLA PANCHAYAT,
BIDAR BY CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,
BIDAR-585401.
...RESPONDENTS
(BY SRI. SHAMBULING S. SALE, ADV. FOR R1
SRI. PRASHANTH KUMMAN, ADV. FOR R2 )
THIS WRIT APPEAL IS FILED UNDER SECTION 4 OF THE
HIGH COURT ACT, PRYING TO, CALL FOR RECORDS OF WRIT
PETITIN NO. 200672/20222 AND THEREBY PLEASED TO SET
ASIDE THE ORDER PASSED BY THE LEARNED SINGLE JUDGE
IN W.P. NO. 200672/2022 ON 09.06.2022.
THIS APPEAL IS COMING ON FOR ORDERS AND HAVING
BEEN HEARD AND RESERVED ON 29.08.2023, COMING ON FOR
PRONOUNCEMENT THIS DAY, RAJESH RAI K J., DELIVERED
THE FOLLOWING:
JUDGMENT
The appellants-State in this appeal has questioned
the legality and correctness of the order dated 09.06.2022
passed in W.P.No.200672/2022 by the learned Single
Judge, wherein the learned Single Judge allowed the writ
petition filed by the respondent No.1 and thereby quashed
the endorsement dated 28.01.2022 as per Annexure-P to
the writ petition, issued by the Deputy Commissioner,
Bidar-respondent No.2 and he is directed to consider the
representation filed by the respondent No.1 dated
13.12.2021 as per Annexure-K, K1, K2 and K3 seeking
appointment to the post of Assistant Cook in the light of
the decision taken by the Committee of appointment dated
25.08.2018 vide Annexure-G to the writ petition, within
an outer limit of three months from the date of receipt of
certified copy of the order.
2. The brief facts of the case which are necessary
for disposal of this appeal are that, the respondent No.1
made an application for the post of Assistant Cook before
the appellant No.2, pursuant to the notification dated
29.09.2016 issued by The Commissioner, Social Welfare
Department, Bidar. However, the said application filed by
respondent No.1 was rejected by the Deputy
Commissioner, Bidar, vide order dated 02.07.2011 as per
Annexure-C to the writ petition on the ground that the
respondent No.1 had not furnished the necessary
documents in support of his candidature. Thereafter,
respondent No.1 filed the objection/representation to the
appellants with necessary documents. After considering
the said objections, the Deputy Commissioner, Bidar and
also the Deputy Director, Social Welfare Department and
committee for appointing of cooks and securities by way of
direct recruitment i.e., appellant No.2 took a decision in
the meeting held on 25.08.2018 by appointing respondent
No.1 to the post of Assistant Cook, by observing that the
application filed by respondent No.1 was supported with all
necessary documents. However, the Appellant Authorities
have failed to appoint respondent No.1 in spite of the
order dated 25.08.2018.
3. Aggrieved by the same, respondent No.1 gave
various representations to the Appellant Authorities to
consider his candidature for appointment of Assistant
Cook. Since the said representations were not considered
by the competent authorities, respondent No.1
approached this Court seeking direction to the appellants
for his appointment, in W.P.No.200303/2021. The learned
Single Judge after hearing the learned counsel for the
parties and also considering the documents available on
record, allowed the writ petition vide order dated
24.11.2021, by directing the appellants i.e., the District
Commissioner and others to consider the
recommendations made by the Deputy Commissioner
dated 25.08.2018 and also the representation submitted
by the respondent and to take appropriate action.
4. After disposal of the said writ petition, the
Appellant Authorities once again failed to appoint
respondent No.1, as such he gave representations to the
Appellant Authorities dated 13.12.2021 requesting them to
comply the order passed by the learned Single Judge in
W.P.No.200303/2021. Thereafter, the Commissioner,
Social Welfare Department, issued an endorsement dated
28.01.2022 to respondent No.1 stating that since his
candidature had already been rejected on 02.07.2017,
there is no scope for re-consideration of the same and
accordingly his candidature for the post of Assistant Cook
was rejected. Aggrieved by the said endorsement, the
respondent No.1 once again approached this court by filing
W.P.No.200672/2022 and the learned Single Judge after
meticulously considering the facts and circumstances of
the case, allowed the writ petition filed by respondent No.1
vide order dated 09.06.2022, thereby quashed the
endorsement issued by the Commissioner dated
28.01.2022 so also directed the Appellant Authorities to
consider the representation submitted by the respondent
No.1 dated 13.12.2022 for his appointment to the post of
Assistant Cook, in the light of the decision taken by the
Committee for appointment headed by the District
Commissioner vide order dated 25.08.2018 within an
outer limit of three months, as stated supra. The said
order is challenged under this writ appeal.
5. We have heard the learned Government
Advocate appearing for the appellants so also the learned
advocate appearing for respondent No.1.
6. Learned Government Advocate vehemently
contended that the order passed by the learned Single
Judge is arbitrary and illegal, since the learned Single
Judge misread the decision taken by the Appellant
Authorities in the meeting dated 25.08.2018. The said
order of appointment of respondent No.1 does not have
any legal sanctity since the candidature of respondent
No.1 has already been rejected vide order dated
02.07.2017, for the reason that the respondent has failed
to produce the relevant documents i.e., certificates
pertaining to Kannada Medium and Rural candidature
along with the application. As such, considering all those
aspects of the matter, the committee rejected his
candidature on 02.07.2017. Hence, the subsequent order
passed by the committee dated 25.08.2018 cannot be
acted upon. Hence, the District Commissioner and
President of selection committee rightly issued an
endorsement dated 28.01.2022 by rejecting the
candidature of respondent No.1. He would further contend
that on the same day i.e., 28.01.2022, one more
endorsement was issued by the District Commissioner to
respondent No.1 stating that he has failed to produce the
relevant documents in the interregnum period of
20.10.2016 to 19.11.2016 as contemplated in the
notification issued for the said post. Later, the respondent
No.1 has produced those documents on 20.06.2017 i.e.,
after lapse of seven months. Hence, his candidature was
not considered by the committee. According to the learned
Government Advocate, the learned Single Judge failed to
consider those aspects, while passing the impugned order.
7. The learned Government Advocate would
further contend that as far as the subsequent order passed
by the District Commissioner dated 25.08.2018, there is
no such note-sheet available in the office file. As such
legal sanctity cannot be attached to the same and the said
order cannot be acted upon. He would further contend that
the writ petition No.200303/2021 is concerned, the
learned Single Judge directed the Appellant Authorities to
consider the representation made by respondent No.1
within an outer limit of four weeks and the said order was
very much complied by the Appellant Authorities and they
have considered the said representation by verifying all
the necessary documents meticulously and thereafter
issued an endorsement dated 28.01.2022 to respondent
No.1, that his candidature is rejected. Therefore, according
to the learned AGA, the learned Single Judge failed to
appreciate those aspects of the matter and passed the
impugned order, which is not sustainable under law.
Accordingly, he prays to allow the appeal.
8. Per contra, learned counsel appearing for
respondent No.1 would contend that, it is not in dispute
that the respondent No.1 belongs to schedule caste and he
is a student of Kannada medium and belongs to
Hyderabad-Karnataka Region. Though, he failed to
produce those certificates at the time of filing the
application for the post of Assistant Cook, but
subsequently he produced the same before the Appellant
Authorities. Accordingly, after considering the said
representation of respondent No.1, the District
Commissioner appointed him for the said post vide order
dated 25.08.2018. In the said order, the District
Commissioner has considered all the aspects of the
matter. Hence, according to the learned counsel, once the
selection committee passed an order of appointment, the
same cannot be withdrawn by the appellants, at later
stage, without any proper reason. He would further
contend that after his appointment order passed by the
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District Commissioner, dated 25.08.2018, the respondent
No.1 approached this Court in W.P.No.200303/2021 and in
the said writ petition, the learned Single Judge directed
the District Commissioner and others to consider his
representation for appointment. During the course of
hearing the writ petition, the Appellant Authorities did not
raise any objection in respect of the delay in production of
necessary documents by respondent No.1 as alleged in the
subsequent endorsement dated 28.01.2022. Hence, he
would submit that the Appellant Authorities intentionally,
and with an ulterior motive, rejected the candidature of
respondent No.1 by issuing the endorsement dated
28.01.2022. Therefore, the learned Single Judge by
considering all those aspects of the matter, allowed the
writ petition filed by respondent No.1. Hence the said
order passed by the learned Single Judge does not suffer
from any illegality. Accordingly, he prays to dismiss the
appeal.
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9. We have bestowed our anxious consideration to
the submission made by learned counsel appearing for the
parties so also perused the documents available on record.
10. Having heard the learned counsel for the parties
so also having perused the documents the point that
would arise for our consideration is;
"Whether the learned Single Judge is
justified in allowing the writ petition
No.200672/2022 vide order dated
09.06.2022?"
11. On careful perusal of the order dated
25.08.2018 passed by the District Commissioner and the
President of selection committee, Social Welfare
Department, Bidar, depicts that, the candidature of the
respondent No.1 has been rejected by the said committee
vide order dated 02.07.2017, only for the reason that the
respondent No.1 failed to produce the certificates
pertaining to his study certificate in Kannada medium and
he belongs to Hyderabad-Karnataka region. However,
thereafter he produced the same before the authorities.
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After considering of those certificates, the District
Commissioner passed an order of appointment of
respondent No.1 for the post Assistant Cook. The
contention of the learned Government Advocate is that the
said order of appointment passed by the District
Commissioner cannot be considered for the reason that
the same was passed contrary to the rejection order
passed by the committee dated 02.07.2017 and also for
the reason that there is no note sheet available in the
office file of the District Commissioner in respect of
passing such an order by the committee. Hence, according
to the learned AGA, the committee rightly rejected the
subsequent representation of the respondent No.1 vide
endorsement dated 28.01.2022.
12. On a cursory glance of the proceedings dated
28.01.2022 passed by the District Commissioner and the
selection committee vide Annexure-N, it reveals that there
is no information in the file in respect of the proceedings
for passing the order of appointment of respondent No.1
dated 25.08.2018 by the District Commissioner and it is
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also mentioned that, the then District Commissioner and
Deputy Director of Social Welfare Department, were
transferred on 18.12.2019, after passing the order dated
25.08.2018. The submission of the learned Government
Advocate that the said order passed by the Deputy
Commissioner, cannot be acted upon, does not hold much
water for the reason that the order dated 25.08.2018 is
also passed by the then District Commissioner and the
Deputy Director of Social Welfare Department and the
selection committee headed by both of them and the said
order is a speaking order. Mere, for the reason that after
passing the said order, both the District Commissioner and
the Deputy Director of Social Welfare Department, were
transferred and non-availability of the note sheet in the
file cannot be a ground for cancellation of the appointment
order of respondent No.1.
13. Nevertheless, after passing the appointment
order by the District Commissioner dated 25.08.2018 as
per Annexure-G, the respondent No.1 approached this
Court by filing the Writ Petition No.200303/2021 to
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consider his representation for appointment as Assistant
Cook, in pursuance of the order dated 25.08.2018.
Wherein, the learned Single Judge, directed the appellants
to consider the representation made by the respondent
No.1 within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt
of certified copy of the order. The said order was passed
after hearing the appellants. But, strangely, the appellant
authorities represented by the Government Advocate did
not argue that, the order of appointment of respondent
No.1 was against the law. Hence, it is clear that after
passing the order by the learned Single Judge in
WP.No.200303/2021 dated 24.11.2021, the Appellant
Authorities passed the impugned endorsement dated
28.01.2022 by rejecting the candidature of the respondent
No.1. The said act of the appellant authorities is not
sustainable under law. Hence, the learned Single Judge
has rightly issued a writ of certiorari by quashing the
endorsement dated 28.01.2022, issued by the District
Commissioner as per Annexure-P and also directed the
appellants to consider the representations of respondent
No.1 vide Annexure-K, K1, K2 and K3 dated 13.12.2021,
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seeking appointment to the post of Assistant cook in the
light of the decision taken by the committee for
appointment dated 25.08.2018 and pass appropriate
orders. Hence, we find no good grounds to interfere with
the order passed by the learned Single Judge. In that view
of the matter, we are of the considered view that the writ
appeal is devoid of merits and the same is liable to be
dismissed.
14. Accordingly, we answer the point raised above
and proceed to pass the following;
ORDER The writ appeal is dismissed.
Sd/-
JUDGE
Sd/-
JUDGE msr
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