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R.Arunkumar vs The Chairman
2023 Latest Caselaw 9097 Mad

Citation : 2023 Latest Caselaw 9097 Mad
Judgement Date : 27 July, 2023

Madras High Court
R.Arunkumar vs The Chairman on 27 July, 2023
    2023:MHC:3585



                                                            1

                                  IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

                                                  DATED : 27.07.2023

                                                        CORAM

                                  THE HON'BLE Mr. JUSTICE C.V.KARTHIKEYAN

                                                  W.P.No.38243 of 2016
                                               and W.M.P.No.32792 of 2016


                     R.Arunkumar                                                  .. Petitioner

                                                         Vs.

                     1.The Chairman,
                      Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution
                           Corporation Ltd.,
                      No.144, Anna Salai, Chennai – 2.

                     2.The Chief Engineer (Personnel),
                      Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution
                           Corporation Ltd.,
                      No.144, Anna Salai, Chennai – 2.

                     3.The Superintending Engineer,
                      Vellore Electricity Distribution Circle,
                      Vellore District.                                           .. Respondents


                     Prayer: Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India
                     praying to issue a Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus, calling for the records
                     made         in   the   impugned   order    of   the   2nd      respondent    in
                     Let.No.046006/427/G8/G81/2013-4 dated 04.04.2015 and quash the same



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                                                                 2

                     and further direct the respondents to provide suitable employment to the
                     petitioner on compassionate ground and sanction family pension and death
                     cum retirement benefits.

                                        For Petitioner           .. Mr.S.N.Ravichandran

                                        For Respondents          .. Mr.K.Rajkumar
                                                                    Standing Counsel (TANGEDCO)



                                                             ORDER

The writ petition has been filed in the nature of a Certiorarified

Mandamus seeking interference with the order passed by the 2nd

respondent/the Chief Engineer (Personnel), TANGEDCO, Chennai, in Letter

No.046006/427/G8/G81/2013-4 dated 04.04.2015, and to further direct the

respondents to provide suitable employment to the petitioner on

compassionate grounds and also sanction family pension and death cum

retirement benefits with respect to the service rendered by the father of the

petitioner P.Rajagopal.

2(a). The petitioner was aged about 26 years at the time of filing the

writ petition. His father was employed as a Contract Labour from 1989 with

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K.Lakshmanan, in the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board at the Office of the

Junior Engineer (O&M), Virunchipuram, Vellore Electricity Distribution

Circle. It is claimed that the petitioner's father was employed without any

break in service and his service was permanent and perennial. However, his

name was omitted in the Justice Khalid Committee Report, which had been

formed to identify contract Labourers for being observed in service in the

erstwhile Tamil Nadu Electricity Board. The father of the petitioner continue

to work as a Contract Labourer

2.(b) On 12.03.2004, the father of the petitioner along with Line

Inspector P.Durairaj had carried out repairs at Mottur SSIII, 250 KVA

transformer at Virunchipuram. While they were reconditioning the said

transformer at about 12.00 p.m., the father of the petitioner suffered shock

by electrocution and died on the way to Hospital. In this connection,

Arulselvan/the Assistant Engineer, had given a police complaint and

accordingly, a FIR was came to be registered in Crime No.93 of 2004 by the

Inspector of Police, Virunchipuram Police Station. Thereafter, the Post

Mortem report confirmed that the death was due to electrocution.

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2. (c) The petitioner, his mother, his sister and his grandfather were

the only legal heirs of deceased P.Rajagopal. Thereafter, the mother of the

petitioner filed an application seeking compensation against the respondents

herein under the provisions of the Workmen Compensation Act, 1923, in

W.C.No.249 of 2004 and an award was passed on 11.04.2005, directing the

Electricity Board to pay a sum of Rs.2,40,270/- (Two Lakhs Forty Thousand

Two Hundred and Seventy only) together with interest at the rate of 12% per

annum. As against that particular award passed by the Commissioner of

Labour, the respondents herein filed C.M.A.No.634 of 2006. Pending

appeal, the mother of the petitioner had filed an application seeking

employment on compassionate ground for her son namely the petitioner

herein, consequent to his completion of 18 years of age.

2. (d) The petitioner has averred in the affidavit that his mother was

informed that compassionate appointment could not be granted since the

father was a contract labourer. Thereafter, the judgment in C.M.A.No.634 of

2006 was delivered, wherein one of the primary issue that had been decided

was that the father was an employee under the respondents and holding so

on the basis of evidence let in, the learned Single Judge, by judgment dated

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22.09.2010, dismissed the Civil Miscellaneous Appeal and confirmed the

award of the Commissioner of Labour. The petitioner quite independent of

the earlier application given by his mother had also given a representation

seeking employment on compassionate grounds on 29.05.2013. The 2nd

respondent, by proceedings dated 27.06.2013, directed the 3 rd respondent to

furnish a report and issued a further direction in that regard. After a period

of more than two years, the impugned order was passed on 04.04.2015,

signed on 17.07.2015, rejecting the plea of the petitioner herein seeking

employment on compassionate basis. The only ground such request by the

petitioner was rejected was that the father of the petitioner was a Contract

Labour. It was stated that since there were no rules available for granting

compassionate employment to the children of those who were in contract

basis, the petitioner was disentitled from seeking such relief. Questioning

that particular order, this writ petition has been filed.

3. A counter affidavit had been filed on behalf of the 3rd

respondent/the Superintending Engineer, Vellore Electricity Distribution

Circle, Vellore District. In the counter affidavit, it had been stated that the

father of the petitioner was working as a Contract Labour and died due to

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electrocution on 12.03.2004 and such electrocution occurred while the father

of the petitioner was repairing the transformer. The fact about the claim

made before the Workmen Compensation Tribunal, was also confirmed. The

fact that an award was granted was also confirmed. It was stated that the

claim of the petitioner seeking employment was rejected only on the ground

that the Board has a policy that it would grant employment only to those

who were the legal heirs of permanent employees and not for those of

contract Labourers.

4. It had been stated that the application had also been filed only on

29.05.2013 after 9 years, 2 months and 17 days. It had been stated that the

employment necessity of the family seeking compassionate appointment did

not exist after a period of 9 years. It had also been stated that the Scheme

cannot be extended to contract Labourer, who were working only for a

temporary period under a particular Scheme.

5. The learned counsel for the respondents placed reliance on the

judgment of a learned Single Judge of this Court in W.P.No.30022 of 2012

dated 14.12.2017, wherein it was stated that a contract Labourer who was

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working in a particular Scheme, can be said to be employed only during the

period of that particular Scheme and therefore, the legal heirs cannot seek

any right for the compassionate employment, if he dies during the course of

employment.

6. Reliance had also been placed on the Full Bench judgment of this

Court in W.P.(MD).No.7016 of 2011 dated 11.03.2020, wherein it had

been held that appointment on compassionate grounds has to be strictly

followed in accordance with the relevant Government rules on schemes

framed by the employer and that any deviation from the same is not

permissible.

7. Heard arguments advanced by Mr.S.N.Ravichandran, learned

counsel for the petitioner and Mr.P.Subramanian, learned Standing Counsel

for the respondents.

8. It is the contention of the learned counsel for the petitioner that the

father of the petitioner was a contract Labourer, who had worked

continuously under the respondents. It had been stated that though several

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such workers had been identified to be absorbed by the respondents,

unfortunately, the father of the petitioner had been left out. It was pointed

out that this would not mean that the father was not working under direct

supervision of the respondents. The learned counsel for the petitioner also

stated that the claim of the respondents that compassionate employment

would be granted only to those who are recognised as employees of the

respondents cannot withstand the scrutiny of this Court.

9. The learned counsel placed reliance on the judgment of a learned

Division Bench of this Court in W.A.No.10 of 2018 in the case of

M.Vigneshwaran Vs. the Superintending Engineer, TNEB, dated

22.04.2019 whereby, it was held that if death occurred due to unnatural

circumstances like a case of electrocution, there cannot be strict existence of

the period of three years, within ab application should be made for seeking

employment under compassionate basis.

10. The learned counsel also placed reliance on the subsequent order

passed by the Division Bench and pointed out that owing to oral

observations of Division Bench of this Court, the respondents therein namely

the Electricity Board/respondents herein had provided employment to the

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writ petitioner therein.

11. Reliance was also placed on a judgment of a learned Single Judge

of this Court in W.P.No.30910 of 2002 dated 10.09.2005 in the case of

Veeramani Vs The Chief Engineer/Personnel, TNEB, Chennai, wherein it

was held that the Electricity Board cannot be heard to raise technical

objections and must provide employment to the dependants of those who die

while performing duties.

12. The learned counsel also pointed out the proceedings of the

respondents dated 08.05.2013 wherein, with respect to the time for making

application, it had been stated that the applicant should have completed 18

years and a maximum of 35 years. If a widow claims employment, the

maximum age limit was 50 years. It had also been stated that in special

cases the proposal for compassionate appointment to the legal heirs of the

Bonafide Contract Labourers who die in fatal electrical accidents will be

considered but limited to those Labourers who would have been observed as

permanent employees if they had continued in service.

13. The learned counsel also pointed out the reasoning of the learned

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Single Judge of this Court in the Civil Miscellaneous Appeal filed by the

respondents questioning the award of the Commissioner of Labour under the

Workmen Compensation Act. The learned Single Judge had specifically held

that the father of the petitioner was an employee of the respondents.

14. The learned counsel pointed out that the FIR had been lodged only

by the Assistant Executive Engineer and stated that there was no obligation

on the Assistant Executive Engineer to so lodge a complaint if the father of

the petitioner was a total stranger. He further stated that in the FIR it had

been very specifically averred that the father died while repairing the

transformer.

15. Mr.K.Rajkumar, learned Standing Counsel on behalf of the

respondents however was quite emphatic in his submissions that the

petitioner was not at all eligible to be considered for grant of appointment

under compassionate basis. It is the contention of the learned Standing

Counsel that the father of the petitioner was not at all an employee of the

respondents and the Board proceedings permitted only children or legal

heirs of the employee to be considered for grant of such employment.

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16. It is the contention of the learned Standing Counsel that the

application was also made after considerable delay and on that ground the

request of the petitioner herein should be rejected.

17. In this connection, the learned Standing Counsel placed reliance

on the judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court reported in 2023 (1) SLR

774, in the case of Kirloskar Brothers Limited Vs. Ramcharan and Others,

wherein the Hon'ble Supreme Court had distinguished between employment

on contract basis under the contract or a direct employee and had very

specifically stated that a contract Labourer is the contract Labourer and not

an employee. The learned Standing Counsel contended that the petitioner

was not eligible to be considered for grant of employment. The learned

Standing Counsel was quite definite in his observations that the writ petition

should be dismissed.

18. I have carefully considered the arguments advanced and perused

the materials placed on record.

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19. The following facts are not in dispute in this case:

1. The father of the petitioner was an employee on contract basis under the respondents.

2. Owing to such employment, the father of the petitioner was paid salary or wages or remuneration by the respondents.

3. The father of the petitioner, died due to electrocution while repairing a transformer.

The above facts are not denied or disputed. The one aspect relied

upon by the learned Standing Counsel on behalf of the respondents is that in

view of those facts, the petitioner stands disqualified from seeking

employment consequent to the fact that the father of the petitioner was a

contract Labourer.

20. In this connection, strong reliance is placed on the judgment of the

Hon'ble Supreme Court reported in 2023 (1) SLR 774, in the case of

Kirloskar Brothers Limited Vs. Ramcharan and others. That was a case

where an application had been made for absorption in service by those who

were contract Labourers. The consistent of the Courts below were reversed

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by the Hon'ble Supreme Court. In that particular case, one defining factor

was that the 7th respondent was the named contractor. The Hon'ble Supreme

Court observed that contract of service between that particular contractor/7th

respondent and those who sought permanent employment, was a subsisting

contract and that contract between the contractor and the employees had not

been declared void under Section 10 of the Contract Labour (Regulation and

Abolition) Act, 1970. It was specifically found that the particular enactment

namely the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970, was a

Central Government enactment and reliance placed by the Courts below on a

State Legislation was not proper in view of Article 154 of the Constitution of

India. Therefore, the claim of the employees to be regularized was rejected,

by holding that they had a valid contract, which was not declared void or

illegal under the provisions of the aforementioned Act. It was held that since

such declaration had not been made, their obligation was only with the

contractor and not with the employer.

21. Holding as above, the Hon'ble Supreme Court held that the

employees therein could not claim permanency in employment and

therefore, set aside the judgments of all the Courts below.

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22. This judgment, is distinguishable on the facts of this particular

case. There was direct evidence extracted in the judgment of the learned

Single Judge of this Court in the Civil Miscellaneous Appeal, which had

been filed by the respondents herein questioning the award of the

Commissioner of Labour under Workmen Compensation Act, who had

granted an award consequent to the death of the father of the petitioner

herein.

23. One of the issues framed for consideration was whether the father

of the petitioner herein was an employee of the respondents. This issue was

direct. This issue was straight forward. It examined whether there was a

relationship of employer/employee between the respondents herein and the

father of the petitioner herein.

24. The answer to that issue directly applies to the case of this writ

petitioner herein. Answering that particular issue, the learned Single Judge

in order dated 22.09.2010 in C.M.A.No.634 of 2006, in the case of The

Superintending Engineer, Vellore Electricity Distribution Circle Vs.

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R.Suganthi, held as follows:

“4. At the time of admission, the following question of law has been framed:

“1. Whether the deceased was a workman to claim a compensation under this Act?”

5. The short point for consideration in the appeal is whether the deceased was a workman entitled to claim compensation under the Workmen Compensation Act?

6. It is stated in the application filed by the respondent, who is the dependent of the deceased that the deceased P.Rajagopal, was a workman employed by the opposite party/appellant and when he was attending to works at Mottur SS.III 250KVA Transformer, the accident took place. At the time of accident, the deceased was earning Rs.75/- per day and the respondent claimed a compensation of Rs.2,02,780.50/-.

7. In the counter affidavit it is stated that on 12.03.2004 the deceased without the knowledge of the Department personnel attempted to release the L.T bushing second jumper in Mottur SS III 250KVA distribution

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transformer, Virinjipuram O & M Section when it was affected by the interruption of supply and thereby met with the accident. Further, when it is stated that if he had used the safety measures, the accident could have been avoided, it is clear that he is treated as an employee of the Electricity Board. Further in this evidence, the respondent has stated as follows:

“/// ,J FwpjJ ; vjph;kDjhuh; jug;gpy; jkpH;ehL kpd;rhu thhpa epiyahd Cjpak; Fwpj;j ml;ltiz (v/k/rh/M9) jhf;fy; bra;J kWg;g[ bjhptpj;jpUe;Jk; v/k/rh/1 jdJ rhl;rpaj;jpy; 01/07/1996 Kjy; xg;ge;j bjhHpyhsh;fSf;F epiyahd Cjpak; Fwpj;j ml;ltiz (k/rh/M/7)d; mog;gilapy; rk;gsk; bfhLf;f Fwpg;gplg;gl;Ls;sJ vd;W rhl;rpak; mspj;Js;shh;/”

8. Hence, in the evidence also the fact that the deceased is an employee has been admitted. Therefore, when in the pleadings as well in the evidence it has been clearly admitted that the deceased is an employee of the Electricity Board, it is not open to the appellant to say that he is not an employee. Accordingly, the substantial question of law No.1 is answered in favour of the respondent and as against the appellant.

9. So far as the quantum is concerned,

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there is no quarrel over the same, since the correct factor has been applied and the age and salary also are admitted. Under these circumstances the compensation awarded by the Court below is fair, reasonable and correct. In the result, the appeal is dismissed. No costs.

10. It is stated by the learned counsel for the appellant that the entire award amount has already been deposited and 50% has already been permitted to be withdrawn by the respondent. The respondent is permitted to withdraw the balance amount along with accrued interest.”

It is thus seen that the said Civil Miscellaneous Appeal itself was admitted

on only one question of law and that question of law “whether the deceased

was a workman to claim compensation under this Act” that issue was

answered on the basis of the evidence adduced not by the applicant/mother

of the petitioner, but by the respondents herein.

25. On the basis of the evidence of the respondents, which had been

extracted above in the order, the learned Judge came to a conclusion that the

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father died in the course of employment and such employment was provided

directly by the respondents and therefore, the respondents had an obligation

to pay compensation for his death. Compensation can be paid and can be

directed to be paid only when the death occurs in the course of employment

and during the course of employment, and that employment should be

authorised by the respondents. A stranger cannot be called upon to climb on

a transformer to do repairs. It is only a person, who is authorised to do that

work can be given that particular work to repair that particular transformer.

The transformer is the property of the respondents and nobody can

unauthorizedly climb on a transformer. Therefore, if a person is directed to

work on a transformer, he should have necessary authority and

responsibility and those who directed him to work should bear the

consequences if anything untoward happens.

26. In this case, the drastic incident had led to the death of the father

of the petitioner herein. To that extent, the respondents have a responsibility

to discharge their duty.

27. It is contended that by the learned Standing Counsel on behalf of

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the respondents that the application had been given after a considerable

period of three years.

28. The learned counsel for the petitioner had placed reliance on the

judgment of the Division Bench of this Court in W.A.No.10 of 2018, in the

case of M.Vigneshwaran Vs. The Superintending Engineer, TNEB dated

22.04.2019. As a matter of fact, the order of the Division Bench of this

Court is very telling. What is more important is that during the course of

hearing on 15.03.2019, when the Division Bench had observed as follows:

“ The father of the appellant was a Lineman. He was electrocuted while in service. The application submitted by the appellant to the respondents seeking compassionate appointment was rejected. The writ petition filed by the appellant was dismissed on the ground of delay and laches.

2. We are of the view that this is a fit case for giving compassionate appointment. The respondents, in a very mechanical manner, rejected the request for compassionate appointment. Eventhough we originally directed the Chief Engineer to appear before this Court and explain as to why the application of the

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appellant for commissionate appointment was mechanically rejected, the learned Standing Counsel submitted that he would take up the matter with the respondents.

3. We direct the respondents to take a decision in this matter taking into account the fact that the death was not under normal circumstances and it was during the course of employment, more particularly, a case of electrocution. Therefore, a lenient approach should be taken by the respondents.

4. Let the respondents take a decision and communicate to this Court by 21.03.2019.

5. Post on 21.03.2019.”

29. Thereafter, on 22.04.2019, the Division Bench had ordered as follows:

“ The application submitted by the appellant for compassionate appointment was rejected by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board on the ground that there was a considerable delay in making the application. The learned Single Judge agreed with the contention taken by the respondent resulting in dismissing the Writ Petition. Feeling aggrieved, the appellant has

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come forward with this intra Court Appeal.

2. We have perused the material papers produced by the appellant. The father of the appellant was a Lineman. He was electrocuted while in service. Under such circumstances, the appellant made an application for compassionate appointment.

3. The respondent rejected the application like any other application on the ground of delay. We have therefore, passed an order directing the respondent to pass appropriate orders giving compassionate appointment to the appellant.

4. The TNGEDCO through its Superintending Engineer complied with the direction and issued orders of appointment dated 16.04.2019. The Executive Engineer, Operation and Maintenance also passed an order dated 20.04.2019, posting the appellant at Mettur Electricity Distribution Circle and allotted to Sankari Division.

5. The TNGEDCO has changed its indifferent attitude now by giving appointment to

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the appellant. Since the earlier direction of this Court has already been complied with, there is no need for further adjudication of the issue raised by the appellant.

6. The TANGEDCO must consider the request of the legal representatives of those employees who were electrocuted in a commissionate manner. Those employees have sacrificed their life in connection with their employment. The application like the appellant should be given due consideration with priority.

7. The intra Court Appeal is disposed of, with the above observation. There shall be no order as to costs. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petition is closed.”

30. This order answers the issue of delay. In that case, the application

seeking compassionate employment by the son of a Lineman was given to

the respondents. It had been observed that the death occurred not under

normal circumstances but during the course of employment and more

particularly owing to electrocution. The Division Bench directed the

respondents to provide employment and come back with an answer that

employment had actually been provided in the next hearing date. The

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Division Bench, after recording that there had been compliance of the said

direction had also observed as that the request of the family of those

employees who sacrifice their lives in connection with their employment,

should be taken into consideration if ever any request is placed seeking

compassionate employment.

31. There is yet another order which had been placed reliance by the

learned counsel for the petitioner namely the order of a learned Single Judge

of this Court in W.P.No.39010 of 2002 dated 10.09.2005, in the case of

Veeramani Vs. The Chief Engineer/Personnel, TNEB, Chennai. In that

case, the father of the writ petitioner had died when he was attending work,

and died of electrocution on 02.12.1980. It was observed that he died during

the course of employment leaving behind her wife, who was pregnant. The

petitioner therein was only 1 ½ years old at the time of death of his father.

32. Thereafter, the petitioner passed Higher Secondary Education and

also qualified typewriting higher in both Tamil and English and then had

forwarded representations in 1999 and 2000, nearly 19 to 20 years after the

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death of the father. By an order dated 16.09.1998, the Chief Engineer of the

respondents had rejected the application since it was given too long after the

staff had expired. The observations of the learned Single Judge are extracted

hereunder:

“ 5. Having regard to the scheme of compassionate appointment implemented by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, which provide for appointments being given for the kith and kin or even members of the staff, who die natural death, there is no justification for denying employment to the legal representatives of the deceased employee, who met with his death while performing his duties, having suffered electrocution.

6. Though the legal aspects of the scope of compassionate appointment was elaborately argued by both sides, I am inclined to hold that this is a hard case in which the respondent Electricity Board cannot be heard to be raising such technical objections. As pointed out earlier, when the scheme of compassionate appointment has been extended to certain unreasonable limits, providing employment even in the place of

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employees who die natural death, there is no justification for the respondent raising technical objections of limitation.

7. Here is a case where the employee had lost his life while performing his duties. The said claim is not denied.

8. Therefore, having regard to the said fact, I am inclined to hold that in this case, such technical objections cannot be countenanced.

9. With the result, the writ petition is allowed and the respondent is directed to give suitable posting and appointment to the petitioner within a period of three months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. No costs.”

This also answers the issue of delay. Both the Division Bench and the

learned Single Judge have stated in very strong terms that the issue of delay

should not be put, if the employee died in the course of employment due to

electrocution and such death was not natural.

33. The issue that the father of the petitioner herein only a contract

Labourer and therefore, could not be considered has to be rejected,

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consequent to the order of the learned Single Judge that even employees of

the contract Labourers should be granted with compassionate employment.

Moreover, the judgment in Civil Miscellaneous Appeal as stated supra had

very specifically answered that the respondents are the employers of the

father of the petitioner herein. That issue had been directly answered against

the respondents.

34. The next issue of delay had again be answered and the reasons of

the Division Bench and learned Single Judge are directly applied by me in

this particular case.

35. The reliance placed by the learned Standing Counsel for the

respondents in the counter affidavit, that the scheme of the respondents to

exclude from the scheme dependents of a contract Labourer cannot be found

fault, but can not be applied to the facts of this case, since in the Civil

Miscellaneous Appeal, it had been very specifically found that the

respondents are the employers and the father of the petitioner had been paid

salary. Therefore, that issue cannot be put against the petitioner herein.

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36. The direction issued by the Full Bench judgment as stated supra

are followed. The father died owing to electrocution during the course of

employment. The death of the father was an unnatural death. The petitioner

had applied immediately after he completed the age of 18 years. Therefore,

the rejection of application is not proper.

37. The learned counsel for the petitioner also placed reliance on

proceedings No.12 dated 08.05.2013 of the respondents. To avoid any

confusion, let me extract the proceedings in entirety:

“ PROCEEDINGS:

The TANGEDCO is adopting the following guidelines for consideration of employment on compassionate grounds to the family of the deceased Board employee;-

a) Legal heirs should have applied for employment within 3 years from the date of death of the employee.

b) At the time of application, legal heir seeking employment should have completed 18 years subject to a maximum of 35 years of age

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and in cases of widow the age limit prescribed is 50 years.

c) Should possess a minimum qualification of 8th Std. pass.”

38. It is seen that the respondents themselves had passed the above

proceedings. They have taken a decision that in special cases, the proposal

for compassionate appointment to the legal heirs of Bonafide Contract

Labourer, who happened to die in fatal electrical accident could be

considered by the respondents. This has to be read in conjunction with the

specific averment made in the affidavit that those who worked along with

the father of the petitioner, had been absorbed as employees of the Board.

Therefore, the contention of the learned counsel for the petitioner that if the

father had continued to live, he would have been absorbed, will have to be

given due credits.

39. In view of all these aspects, I hold that the respondents have an

obligation to discharge their duty, recognising the work done by the father of

the petitioner herein and that obligation is to provide employment on

compassionate basis to the petitioner, if otherwise eligible. Accordingly, the

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writ petition stands allowed.

40. The respondents are directed to pass appropriate orders within a

period of twelve weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order.

41. I would also make it clear that it is only a direction of the Court in

the Civil Miscellaneous Appeal that employment of the father had been

recognised and therefore, the other reliefs have not been directly addressed. I

advise the petitioner to be content with gaining employment. It would be a

recognition of the services rendered by his father.

42. Writ petition is allowed. There shall be no order as to costs.

Consequently, connected miscellaneous petition is also closed.

27.07.2023

Index : Yes/No Neutral Citations : Yes/No Speaking/Non-Speaking

ata

To

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1.The Chairman, Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Ltd., No.144, Anna Salai, Chennai – 2.

2.The Chief Engineer (Personnel), Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Ltd., No.144, Anna Salai, Chennai – 2.

3.The Superintending Engineer, Vellore Electricity Distribution Circle, Vellore District.

C.V.KARTHIKEYAN,J.

ata

W.P.No.38243 of 2016

https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis

27.07.2023

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