Madras High Court

S.Sarathlal vs The Chief Engineer (Personal) on 23 February, 2022

W.P. (MD) No. 7075 of 2020

BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT

DATED : 23.02.2022

CORAM

THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE S.M.SUBRAMANIAM

W.P. (MD) No. 7075 of 2020

S.Sarathlal ... Petitioner
Vs.

1. The Chief Engineer (Personal),
TANGEDCO,
No.114, Anna Salai,
Chennai - 600 002.

2. The Additional Chief Engineer,
Generation Cicle, TANGEDCO,
Maharaja Nagar, Tirunelveli - 11.

3. The Superintending Engineer,
Generation Circle, TANGEDCO,
Maharaja Nagar, Tirunelveli - 11. ... Respondents

PRAYER: Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India
praying for issuance of Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus to call for the
records relating to the impugned order made in Letter
No.011943/667/Ni.Pi/U3/Go.Va.Ve/2019 dated 29.10.2019 on the file of the
second respondent and to quash the same as illegal, arbitrary and

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W.P. (MD) No. 7075 of 2020

unsustainable in law and consequently directing the respondents herein to
provide suitable employment to the petitioner on compassionate ground in
accordance with law within a time stipulated by this Hon'ble Court and thus
render justice.

For Petitioner : Mr.M.Thirunavukkarasu

For Respondents : Mr.S.Arivalagan

ORDER

The grievances of the writ petitioner is that his father Suresh was

an employee of TANGEDCO and died in harness on 05.03.2004, while he

was in service.

2. The petitioner during the relevant point of time was a minor

aged about 8 years. Therefore, the application submitted by the petitioner in

the year 2006 was not considered by the Authorities. However, on attaining

the age of majority, the petitioner submitted an application on 31.07.2015

seeking appointment on compassionate ground. The said application is

rejected in proceedings dated 29.10.2019 stating that the father of the writ

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petitioner died on 05.03.2004 and the petitioner submitted an application

beyond the period of three years.

3. When the petitioner was a minor, he is not eligible to submit

application. When the petitioner attained the age of majority, by that time

the three years period contemplated under the scheme expired. The scope of

the scheme cannot be expanded by the Court. The lapse of time is a ground

to draw a factual infringement that the penurious circumstances arose on

account of the sudden death of the Government employee became vanished.

Thus, the compassionate appointment cannot be provided after long years. It

is to be provided to mitigate the circumstances arising on account of the

death of the Government employee within a short span or at least within a

period of time.

4. The scheme of compassionate appointment was introduced to

mitigate the circumstances arising on account of sudden demise of the

Government Employee. Compassionate appointment is not a regular

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appointment, nor an appointment under the constitutional scheme. It is a

concession granted to the Government employees on certain exceptional

circumstances. Thus, the compassionate appointment can never be claimed

as a matter of right and only if a person is entitled under the terms and

conditions, then alone the scheme can be extended, but not otherwise.

Equal opportunity in public employment is a constitutional mandate. All

appointments are to be made in accordance with the rules and by providing

equal opportunity to participate in the process of selection.

5. As far as the compassionate appointments are concerned, no

selection is conducted, no suitability or eligibility are tested, but persons are

appointed merely based on death of an employee. Therefore, compassionate

appointment is to be restricted in the interest of the efficient public

administration. No doubt, the Government also restricted the compassionate

appointment and it is to be extended only to the deserving family and more

so, not after a lapse of many years. Providing compassionate appointment

after a lapse of many years would not only defeat the purpose and object of

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the scheme, but also the penurious circumstances arose on account of the

sudden death became vanished. Thus, the lapse of time is also a ground to

reject the claim for compassionate appointment. Number of judgments are

delivered by this Court and the Government also issued revised instructions

for providing compassionate appointment in G.O.Ms.18, Labour and

Employment, dated 23.01.2020.

6. Even recently, the Honourable Supreme Court in the case of

State of Uttar Pradesh and Others vs. Premlata, reported in (2022) 1 SCC

30, has made observations in respect of implementation of the scheme of

compassionate appointment and the relevant portion of the observations are

extracted hereunder:

“8. While considering the issue involved in the present appeal, the law laid down by this Court on compassionate ground on the death of the deceased employee are required to be referred to and considered. In the recent decision, this Court in State of Karnataka vs. V.Somayashree [(2021) 12 SCC 20], had occasion to consider the principle governing the grant of appointment on compassionate ground. After referring to

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the decision of this Court in N.C.Santhosh vs. State of Karnataka [(2020) 7 SCC 617], this Court has summarized the principle governing the grant of appointment on compassionate ground as under:

10.1. That the compassionate appointment is an exception to the general rule;

10.2. That no aspirant has a right to compassionate appointment;

10.3. The appointment to any public post in the service of the State has to be made on the basis of the principle in accordance with Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India;

10.4. Appointment on compassionate ground can be made only on fulfilling the norms laid down by the State’s policy and/or satisfaction of the eligibility criteria as per the policy;

10.5. The norms prevailing on the date of the consideration of the application should be the basis for consideration of claim for compassionate appointment.

9. As per the law laid down by this Court in a catena of decisions on the appointment on compassionate ground, for all the government vacancies equal opportunity should be provided

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to all aspirants as mandated under Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution. However, appointment on compassionate ground offered to a dependent of a deceased employee is an exception to the said norms. The compassionate ground is a concession and not a right.

9.1. In the case of H.P. v. Shashi Kumar [(2019) 3 SCC 653], this Court in paras 21 and 26 had an occasion to consider the object and purpose of appointment on compassionate ground and considered decision of this Court in Govind Prakash Verma v. LIC [(2005) 10 SCC 289], it is observed and held as under:

“21. The decision in Govind Prakash Verma, has been considered subsequently in several decisions. But, before we advert to those decisions, it is necessary to note that the nature of compassionate appointment had been considered by this Court in Umesh Kumar Nagpal v. State of Haryana [(1994) 4 SCC 138]. The principles which have been laid down in Umesh Kumar Nagpal have been subsequently followed in a consistent line of precedents in this Court. These principles are encapsulated in the following extract:

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“2. … As a rule, appointments in the public services should be made strictly on the basis of open invitation of applications and merit. No other mode of appointment nor any other consideration is permissible. Neither the Governments nor the public authorities are at liberty to follow any other procedure or relax the qualifications laid down by the rules for the post. However, to this general rule which is to be followed strictly in every case, there are some exceptions carved out in the interests of justice and to meet certain contingencies. One such exception is in favour of the dependants of an employee dying in harness and leaving his family in penury and without any means of livelihood. In such cases, out of pure humanitarian consideration taking into consideration the fact that unless some source of livelihood is provided, the family would not be able to make both ends meet, a provision is made in the rules to provide gainful employment to one of the dependants of the deceased who may be eligible for such employment. The whole object of granting compassionate employment is thus to enable the

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family to tide over the sudden crisis. The object is not to give a member of such family a post much less a post for post held by the deceased. What is further, mere death of an employee in harness does not entitle his family to such source of livelihood.

The Government or the public authority concerned has to examine the financial condition of the family of the deceased, and it is only if it is satisfied, that but for the provision of employment, the family will not be able to meet the crisis that a job is to be offered to the eligible member of the family. The posts in Classes III and IV are the lowest posts in non-manual and manual categories and hence they alone can be offered on compassionate grounds, the object being to relieve the family, of the financial destitution and to help it get over the emergency. The provision of employment in such lowest posts by making an exception to the rule is justifiable and valid since it is not discriminatory. The favourable treatment given to such dependant of the deceased employee in such posts has a rational nexus with the object sought to be achieved viz. relief against

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destitution. No other posts are expected or required to be given by the public authorities for the purpose. It must be remembered in this connection that as against the destitute family of the deceased there are millions of other families which are equally, if not more destitute. The exception to the rule made in favour of the family of the deceased employee is in consideration of the services rendered by him and the legitimate expectations, and the change in the status and affairs, of the family engendered by the erstwhile employment which are suddenly upturned.” “26. The judgment of a Bench of two Judges in Mumtaz Yunus Mulani v. State of Maharashtra [Mumtaz Yunus Mulani v. State of Maharashtra, (2008) 11 SCC 384 : (2008) 2 SCC (L&S) 1077] has adopted the principle that appointment on compassionate grounds is not a source of recruitment, but a means to enable the family of the deceased to get over a sudden financial crisis. The financial position of the family would need to be evaluated on the basis of the provisions contained in the scheme. The decision in Govind

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Prakash Verma [Govind Prakash Verma v. LIC, (2005) 10 SCC 289 : 2005 SCC (L&S) 590] has been duly considered, but the Court observed that it did not appear that the earlier binding precedents of this Court have been taken note of in that case.”

7. In the present case, the petitioner was a minor and when he

attained the age of majority, the period contemplated under the scheme

expired. Therefore, this Court do not find any infirmity or perversity in

respect of the reasons provided for rejection of application.

8. Accordingly, this Writ Petition stands dismissed. However,

there shall be no order as to costs.

23.02.2022 Index : Yes Speaking Order : Yes

vji

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1. The Chief Engineer (Personal), TANGEDCO, No.114, Anna Salai, Chennai - 600 002.

2. The Additional Chief Engineer, Generation Cicle, TANGEDCO, Maharaja Nagar, Tirunelveli - 11.