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Patna High Court

Sunil KumarversusThe State of Bihar and Ors

Decided
Disposal
ALLOWED

Holding

The Court held that under the Bihar Non‑Government Secondary Schools (Taking Over) Act, 1981, the petitioner’s services must be deemed regularised from the date of takeover and he is entitled to all consequential benefits, rendering the 2017 rejection order ultra vires.

Summary

Sunil Kumar, appointed as Clerk‑cum‑Librarian in 1982 by the school Managing Committee, continued to serve uninterruptedly even after the school was taken over by the State of Bihar in 1991. He sought regularisation, payment of arrears and pension, alleging that the 2017 order rejecting his claim was arbitrary and violative of natural justice and Article 14. The State argued that the post was never sanctioned and his appointment violated a 1980 circular, thus denying liability. The Court examined the Bihar Non‑Government Secondary Schools (Taking Over) Act, 1981, relevant case law on absorption of employees after take‑over, and held that the Act deems such employees state servants whose services must be regularised irrespective of the post’s prior sanction. Consequently, the Court set aside the impugned order, directed his absorption from the date of takeover and payment of all consequential benefits, including salary arrears and pension.

Issues considered

  • The validity of the 2017 order rejecting the petitioner's claim for regularisation.
  • Whether an employee appointed to a non‑sanctioned post before a school’s take‑over can be regularised under the Bihar Taking Over Act, 1981.
  • Whether the State is liable to pay arrears of salary and pensionary benefits to the petitioner.
  • Whether the rejection order violated principles of natural justice and Article 14 of the Constitution.

Legislation cited

Subjects

  • regularisation
  • taking over act
  • non‑sanctioned post
  • natural justice
  • Article 14
  • employment
  • arrears of salary
  • pension
  • clerk‑cum‑librarian
  • Bihar education
  • writ petition
  • certiorari
  • mandamus

Judgment

                 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
                            Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.3600 of 2019
             ======================================================
             Sunil Kumar Son of Sri Balbhadra Prasad Singh, Resident of Village-
             Hasanpur, P.S.- Lakhisarai, District- Lakhisarai.

                                                                    ... ... Petitioner/s
                                               Versus
       1.    The State of Bihar and Ors through, Principal Secretary, Department of
             Education, Govt. of Bihar, Patna.
       2.    The Principal Secretary, Department of Education, Govt. of Bihar, Patna.
       3.    The Director, Secondary Education, Govt. of Bihar, Patna.
       4.    The District Education Officer, Lakhisarai.
       5.    The Head Master, Rajkiya High School, Hasanpur, Lakhisarai.

                                                       ... ... Respondent/s
             ======================================================
             Appearance :
             For the Petitioner/s     :         Mr. Lalan Kumar, Advocate,
             For the Respondent/s     :         Mr.Prabhakar Jha (GP-27)
             ======================================================
             CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE AJIT KUMAR
             CAV ORDER/ JUDGMENT

05-02-2026                          Heard Mr. Lalan Kumar, learned counsel for the

              petitioner and Mr. Prabhakar Jha, learned counsel appearing for

              Respondent State duly assisted by Mr. Shankar Kumar Thakur,

              AC to GP-27.

                                2. The instant writ petition has been filed for the

              following relief(s):-

                                                          (i) In the nature of certiorari

                                          for setting aside the order as contained in

                                          memo no. 11/Mu 1-115/2010-1966 dated

                                          08.08.2017 (Annexure -21) whereby and

                                          whereunder     the    regularization   of   the
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                                 services of the petitioner as Clerk-cum-

                                 Librarian at Rajkiya High School, Hasanpur

                                 at Lakhisarai has been rejected.

                                                       (ii)     In   the   nature   of

                                 mandamus directing and commanding the

                                 respondent authorities to regularize the

                                 services of the petitioner on the post of

                                 Clerk-cum-Librarian in the aforesaid school

                                 from the date since which the said school

                                 has been recognized by the Government.

                                                       (iii)   In    the   nature   of

                                 mandamus directing and commanding the

                                 respondent authorities to pay the petitioner

                                 his entire salaries from the date of

                                 recognition till date as he has not been paid

                                 a single farthing for the period he has

                                 worked since the date the school has been

                                 taken over till date up to when he has been

                                 working in the school and was not allowed

                                 to mark the attendance after 2010.

                                                       (iv) For any other relief for

                                 which the petitioners is entitle in the facts
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                                 and circumstances of the instant case.

                 SUBMISSIONS ON BEHALF OF THE PETITIONER

                       3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the

         petitioner was initially appointed to the post of Clerk-cum-

         Librarian by the Managing Committee of Rajkiya High School,

         Hasanpur, Lakhisarai, in accordance with Resolution No. 3

         passed in Meeting No. 66 dated 15.03.1982, consequent to this

         resolution, an appointment letter bearing Letter No. 09 was

         issued on 15.03.1982 (Annexure-1 and 2), following which the

         petitioner joined his duties on 21.03.1982, which was duly

         accepted by the Head Master of the school (Annexure-3). The

         petitioner’s services were subsequently confirmed by the School

         Managing Committee vide Resolution No.70 dated 21.01.1983

         (Annexure-4). It is further submitted that the school in question

         was subsequently taken over by the Government, with formal

         decision taken vide Letter No. 12/0-14/9/205 dated 31.03.1991

         (Annexure-5).

                      4. It is further contended that owing to non-payment

         of salary after the school’s takeover, the petitioner, along with

         other staff members, approached this Hon’ble Court in CWJC

         No. 2213/1994, which was disposed of on 31.07.1995 with a

         direction to the Director, Secondary Education, to take a final
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         decision in the matter (Annexure-6). Pursuant to which several

         representations were filed but no decision was taken leading to

         filing of contempt petition being MJC No. 932 of 1996 and in

         order to decide the issues of salary, an inspection was conducted

         on 15.03.1997 by the Deputy Director of Education, and a

         report was forwarded to the Director, Secondary Education, vide

         Letter No. 539 dated 09.04.1997, wherein the petitioner’s name

         was explicitly recommended at Serial No. 7 (Annexure-7).

         However, the petitioner was shocked to find that when the

         Department of Secondary, Primary, and Adult Education issued

         Letter No. 639 on 08.05.1997, appending a list of recognized

         and unrecognized staff, his name was arbitrarily omitted from

         both categories (Annexure-8).

                     5. Learned counsel on behalf of the petitioner further

         highlights that the petitioner continued to discharge his duties

         with an unblemished record, as evidenced by a character

         certificate issued by the Head Master on 26.05.1997 (Annexure-

         9), even after the school was taken over, which would find

         support from the inspection report prepared by the Deputy

         Director of Education as contained in letter dated 09.04.1997.

                        6.     Despite his long and continuous service, the

         petitioner was unilaterally prevented from marking his
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         attendance after the year 2010. And for the first time, the

         petitioner moved before this Court in CWJC No. 14082 of 2010

         and further MJC No. 1663 of 2012 was also filed for ensuring

         compliance, and the authorities came out with rejection order

         rejecting the claim of this petitioner for showing compliance of

         the order passed by the Co-ordinate Bench issued in the case of

         CWJC No. 14082 of 2010, for which MJC No. 1663/2012 was

         filed and by placing the order contained in Memo No. 11 MU 1-

         56/2010-2104 dated 29.10.2012, the said contempt petition got

         disposed with liberty to challenge which was subsequently,

         challenged in CWJC No. 7914 of 2013 which got disposed of

         with a direction to consider the claim and for showing

         compliance in MJC No. 2157 of 2017, the impugned order dated

         08.08.2017 came to be issued, which is subject matter of

         challenge in the instant petition.            Lastly, the petitioner’s claim

         for regularization was eventually rejected by the respondent

         authorities through the impugned order contained in Memo No.

         11/Mu -115/2010-1966 dated 08.08.2017 (Annexure-21).

                      7.     The petitioner’s stand is that the impugned order

         is arbitrary, discriminatory, and legally unsustainable, as the

         services of several other similarly situated persons were

         recognized by the State on the basis of inspection report of the
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         Deputy Director of Education dated 09.04.1997, in which the

         petitioner was also found to be working. It is submitted that the

         exclusion of the petitioner, despite a favorable inspection report

         at par with others, constitutes a gross violation of the principles

         of natural justice and Article 14 of the Constitution of India. The

         learned counsel argues that the petitioner is entitled to the

         regularization of his service and the payment of all

         consequential benefits including arrears of salary from the date

         of the school’s recognition, in light of the settled legal position

         and as also, the directions issued by the Co-ordinate Bench of

         this Hon’ble Court in similar matters, which may be inferred

         from the respective orders passed in CWJC No. 4547 of 1998,

         CWJC No. 15356 of 2006 and CWJC No. 1409 of 2003.

             SUBMISSIONS ON BEHALF OF THE RESPONDENTS

                            8.    Learned counsel for the respondents, while

         countering the petitioner's claims through the Counter Affidavit

         (Respondent Nos. 1 to 3) and the Supplementary Counter

         Affidavits, submits that the petitioner's prayer for regularization

         was objectively considered and rejected by the Director of

         Secondary Education via Memo No. 11/Mu-115/2010-1966

         dated 08.08.2017. It is contended that as per the factual report

         from the District Education Officer, Lakhisarai (Letter No. 2973
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         dated 13.12.2025), the post of "Clerk-cum-Librarian" was never

         a sanctioned post in Rajkiya High School, Hasanpur. Although

         the school was granted recognition via Letter No. 205 dated

         31.03.1991 whereas, the sanctioned staff strength only provided

         for one Principal, eight Assistant Teachers, one Clerk, and two

         Peons. Since, the petitioner’s appointment was made by the

         Managing Committee against a non-sanctioned post, the State

         cannot be fastened with the liability to pay salary or regularize

         his services, as per the settled legal position in CWJC No.

         4866/2003 (Smt. Mridula Palit Vs. The State of Bihar & Ors.),

         reported in 2018 (2) PLJR 199.

                            9. In the Supplementary Counter Affidavits, the

         respondents further highlight that the petitioner’s induction on

         15.03.1982 was void ab initio. The Education Department had

         issued Circular contained in Letter No. 1446 dated 21.07.1980,

         which imposed a complete ban on any further appointments by

         the Managing Committees in schools slated for takeover by the

         State effective from 02.10.1980. Since the petitioner was

         appointed nearly two years after this ban, his appointment was

         in direct contravention of the government circular. Furthermore,

         regarding the Inspection Report dated 15.03.1997, it is

         submitted that while the then Deputy Director mentioned the
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         petitioner’s name as a "Librarian," the report contained a

         specific "Mantavya" (Opinion) stating that the appointments in

         the school were not made in accordance with the "Manak

         Mandal" (Staffing Pattern). The respondents maintain that the

         petitioner’s earlier challenge in CWJC No. 14082/2010 resulted

         in a direction to pass a speaking order, which has been duly

         complied with, through the impugned rejection order, leaving no

         grounds for further relief.

              STAND OF THE PETITIONER IN THE REJOINDER

                            10. In the Rejoinder, the learned counsel for the

         petitioner strongly refutes the respondents' reliance on the 1980

         circular and the staffing pattern, characterizing these grounds as

         a belated attempt to deny legitimate claims after decades of

         service. It is submitted that the Inspection Report dated

         15.03.1997 was not a routine exercise but was conducted

         pursuant to a contempt proceeding (MJC No. 932 of 1996) to

         identify the working staff after the school's takeover. The

         petitioner argues that this report unequivocally recognized him

         as a working employee (Librarian) and recommended his name

         at Serial No. 7, while his appointment was made on the post of

         Clerk-cum-Librarian.

                            11.    The petitioner further contends that the
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         respondents have acted discriminatorily by recognizing the

         services of similarly situated individuals, such as Rajniti Prasad

         Singh and others, while arbitrarily omitting the petitioner’s

         name. It is argued that after allowing the petitioner to discharge

         his duties with an unblemished record for over 30 years, which

         is further supported by the character certificate issued by the

         Head Master on 26.05.1997, the question of petitioner’s

         appointment having been made as against the non sanctioned

         post, may not be legally available with the authorities after

         almost three decades with his unblemished service. The

         petitioner maintains that the first order of rejection is of the year

         2012 while the impugned order of the year 2017, which fails to

         address the specific findings of the year 1997 inspection report

         and thus suffers from a total non-application of judicial mind

         and a violation of the principles of natural justice.

                            12.      Learned counsel for the petitioner by

         referring to the order passed by the Co-ordinate Bench in the

         case of Meera Sinha vs. The State of Bihar & Ors in CWJC

         No. 1409 of 2003 submits that a similarly situated person had

         sought for a direction upon the respondents to accord approval

         of her services as an Assistant Teacher in the same School

         known as Rajkiya Husanpur High School, Lakhisarai w.e.f
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         01.01.1991 and this Court recording certain facts related with

         the School’s establishment and his service profile, which were

         not in controversy that the School was established in the year

         1964 and was being managed by Managing Committee

         constituted for this purpose and the School is said to have been

         taken over on 31.03.1991 and further at the time of taking over

         the School, the petitioner was working as Assistant Teacher in

         the subject of Biology, pursuant to which the joining was given

         and appointment was within the sanctioned strength of teaching

         and non-teaching staffs of the School in question and still her

         services was not being recognized. The Co-ordinate Bench of

         this Court, taking note of the adjudication made and directions

         issued in the case of similarly situated persons adjudicated in the

         case of Ajay Kumar & Ors v. State of Bihar & Ors (CWJC No.

         4547 of 1998), allowed the case of Meera Sinha (Supra),

         directing the Respondents to recognize her services w.e.f

         01.01.1991 taking note of the fact that similarly situated persons

         having been taken in the service, the Writ Petition filed by them

         was also allowed by setting aside their rejection order. Similarly,

         in the case of another Assistant Teacher, Rajniti Prasad Singh,

         who has also preferred the Writ Petition before this Court vide

         CWJC No. 15356 of 2006 wherein similar directions were
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         issued and his case was also duly considered by the Director,

         Secondary Education by recognizing his services w.e.f

         01.01.1991.

                            13. Learned counsel by referring to the above

         facts submits that the case of this petitioner is also similar to that

         of other similarly situated persons, as the appointment of this

         petitioner was also made as per the staffing pattern by the

         Managing Committee of the School by issuing the appointment

         letter for the post of Clerk-cum-Librarian w.e.f. 15.03.1982 and

         since then, the petitioner has been working on the said post and

         had been discharging the duties on such post of Clerk-cum-

         Librarian whereas, in terms of the provisions of the Bihar Non

         Government Secondary Schools (Taking Over of Management

         and Control) Act, 1981 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Taking

         over Act, 1981”),         the case of the petitioner was required to

         have been considered, as the consequences of taking over the

         Management and Control clearly stipulates that from the date on

         which the Management and Control are taken over by the State

         Government, the services of every Headmaster, teachers and

         other employees working in the nationalized school shall be

         deemed to have been transferred to the State Government and

         such persons are deemed to be the employee of the State
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         Government, holding post as determined by the State

         Government, as per the eligibility and the qualification of the

         incumbent, whose services are to be taken over for absorption.

                            14.     Learned counsel for the petitioner further

         submits that the Full Bench judgment rendered in the case of

         Ram Naresh Prasad Nirala Vs. The State of Bihar & Ors, as

         reported in 1987 PLJR 341, wherein, the issues pertaining to

         take over of services of taken over school was considered and it

         has categorically been held that the eligibility and qualification

         of the incumbent, whose services are to be taken over are to be

         tested,    as    on      the   date    of     report    by   the   Screening

         Committee/Special Board.              In paragraph-10 of the aforesaid

         order/judgment, the following observation was made:-

                                                            “It must, therefore, be

                                         held in no uncertain terms that the

                                         crucial point of time and, indeed, the

                                         outer limit for such consideration is

                                         the date of the report of the Special

                                         Board the consideration of eligibility,

                                         qualification          and   suitability   of

                                         teachers for absorption.”

                             15. Learned counsel further by referring to the
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         judgment of Braj Kishore Singh & Ors. Vs. State of Bihar &

         ors (1997)1 BLJR 625, submits that the staffing pattern has

         already been laid down whereby it has been held as follows:-

                                        “30. In view of my interpretation of
                                 Section 35 of the Act and conclusion that the
                                 staffing pattern has already been laid down
                                 which amounts to creation of posts, the
                                 abovesaid decisions cannot be said to be
                                 correct in law. The Supreme Court rejected
                                 the S.L.Ps. summarily and those orders
                                 cannot be understood as upholding the
                                 judgments/orders           on       merit.     If    the
                                 appointments are made against posts as per
                                 the    staffing        pattern,     i.e.    within   the
                                 sanctioned strength, they cannot said to be
                                 violative of Section 35 of the Act and illegal
                                 on the ground that the posts have not been
                                 sanctioned        by     the      State    Government
                                 provided, for course, the candidates possess
                                 the eligibility and suitability and the
                                 selection/appointment             process      was    in
                                 conformity with Articles 14 and 16 of the
                                 Constitution.
                                        31. Learned Single Judge was referred
                                 to Section 10(6) of the Universities Act. That
                                 section empowers the vice-Chancellor to
                                 make appointment of ministerial staff and
                                 other servants of the University. Learned
                                 Judge was held that after the College
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                                 became constituent in 1979, the impugned
                                 appointment could not have been made by
                                 the College authorities. However, as stated
                                 above, while narrating the foundational
                                 facts, the University had already approved
                                 those appointments on 2nd March, 1981 and
                                 forwarded the same to the Department for
                                 approval of the State Government.
                                        32.    In      the   above    premises,    the
                                 judgment of the Learned Single Judge
                                 rejecting the claim of the appellants on the
                                 ground that they were appointed without
                                 prior approval of the Act cannot be
                                 sustained. In the ordinary course, in view of
                                 my conclusion that it is open to the State
                                 Government to consider the validity of
                                 appointments already made for the purpose
                                 of granting or refusing past facto approval, I
                                 would have considered asking the State
                                 Government to look into the claim of the
                                 appellants afresh. However, having regard to
                                 the fact that the appellants have continued in
                                 service for more than 17 years, I do not think
                                 it   would       be    appropriate     exercise    of
                                 discretion to reopen the matter after such a
                                 long lapse of time. In Direct Recruit Class-
                                 11 Engineering Officers, Association v. The
                                 State of Maharashtra a Constitution Bench
                                 of the Apex Court held that where initial
                                 appointment is not made according to the.
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                                  rules but the appointee continues in service
                                  uninterruptedly         for   long    period    till
                                  regularisation of his service, the entire
                                  period as the period spent in service for the
                                  purpose of consequential benefits will be
                                  counted. The appellants are accordingly
                                  entitled to have their services regularised
                                  against the posts within the staffing pattern
                                  as applicable to the college.
                                                       33. In the result, this appeal

                                  is allowed. The judgment of the Learned

                                  Single Judge under appeal is set aside. The

                                  impugned order of the State Government

                                  dated June 8, 1983, Annexure-7 to the writ

                                  petition, is also set aside. The writ petition

                                  stands     allowed        accordingly.    In   the

                                  circumstances of the case there will be no

                                  order as to costs”

                            16.         Therefore, in the light of aforesaid

         judgment the case of the petitioner is required to be considered

         and there cannot be any ground for non consideration of the

         case of this petitioner, whereas, from their own inspection

         report, it appears that the petitioner is said to have been found to

         be working as against the post of Clerk-cum-Librarian and the

         Inspection Report dated 08.05.1997 forms part of the present
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         writ petition as Annexure-8, did find the petitioner working on

         the post of Clerk-cum-Librarian, based on which, the other

         similarly situated persons have been allowed absorption.

                            17. It is the further case of the petitioner that the

         inspection report dated 8th of May, 1997 is said to have been

         prepared by the District Education Officer, Lakhisarai, to show

         compliance of the order passed in CWJC No. 2213 of 1994 for

         which contempt petition being MJC No. 932 of 1996, was filed

         and pursuant to which, the inspection is said to have been made

         on 15.03.1997. From the said report, it appears that the

         respondents have found the petitioner to be working on the date

         of such inspection, which is said to have been done almost after

         fifteen years of his actual appointment.

                            18.     Learned counsel for the petitioner by

         referring to letter no. 53 of 2012 dated 10.07.2012, which is said

         to have been issued by the Principal of the said College

         addressed to the District Education Officer, Lakhisarai submits

         that the said letter clearly states that the petitioner’s appointment

         was made by the Managing Committee vide letter no. 9 dated

         15.03.1982 and the decision with respect to the appointment so

         made was confirmed in the meeting No. 17 of Managing

         Committee dated 21.01.1983 and since then, he continued to
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         discharge the duties on the post of Clerk-cum-Librarian as per

         the staffing pattern.

                                CONSIDERATION

                            19. Having given detailed consideration of the

         facts obtaining on record, it is quite evident that the petitioner

         was initially appointed on the post of Clerk-cum-Librarian by

         the Managing Committee, who submitted his joining on the said

         post on 21.03.1982 and since then, he had been continuously

         discharging the duties of the post against which the appointment

         is said to have been made. It is also not in dispute that

         subsequently the Managing Committee, who had recommended

         for petitioner’s appointment, confirmed his services vide

         Resolution No. 70 dated 21.01.1983. It is only after almost eight

         years, the State Government formally granted assent for take

         over of the School in question vide Letter no. 12/0-14/9/205

         dated 31.03.1991 (Annexure-5).

                            20. The whole dispute cropped up only after the

         said School was taken over by the State Government and before

         that the petitioner continued on the post peacefully and was

         discharging his duties to the post with full satisfaction of the

         Managing Committee and was allowed his salary during such

         period. The provisions of “the Taking Over Act, 1981” which
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         specifically provides that the consequences of taking over the

         management and control from the date on which, such controls

         are taken over by the State Government, the services of every

         Headmaster, Teacher and other employees working in the

         nationalized Schools shall be deemed to have been transferred

         to the State Government and such persons are deemed to be the

         employees of the State Government holding post as determined

         by the State Government, as per the eligibility and the

         qualification of the incumbent, whose services are to be taken

         over for absorption.

                            21. From perusal of the provisions as contained

         in “the Taking over Act, 1981”, it is quite evident that the State-

         respondents did not have any power to drop any employee, who

         are said to be working in the said School on the date of taking

         over as per the Staffing Pattern, rather their absorptions had to

         be made by the State Government, as against the post held by

         them, as per the eligibility and the qualification of the

         incumbent, whose services are to be taken over for absorption.

                            22. As the petitioner, who had been undisputedly

         working since 21.03.1982, and has also been found to be

         working even after the taken over Notification as per the

         provisions of “the Taking over Act, 1981” is said to have been
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         issued on 31.03.1991, which is quite evident from the inspection

         report, said to have been prepared by the Deputy Director of

         Education for showing compliance in the contempt petition in

         being MJC No. 932 of 1996 filed by other similarly situated

         persons for absorption, and this petitioner having been found to

         be working on the date of inspection dated 15.03.1997 but his

         case has not been considered only for the reason that the

         petitioner was not working against the sanctioned post and the

         other persons in whose favour the Co-ordinate Bench had

         directed for taking decision, their cases are said to have been

         considered on the basis of inspection report dated 15.03.1997,

         wherein those other similarly situated persons were also found

         to be working but only distinction drawn with this petitioner is

         that the petitioner has not been found to be working against a

         sanctioned post under Staffing Pattern, is wholly misconceived

         because, the post against which, the petitioner is said to have

         been appointed denotes the designation of the post of Clerk-

         cum-Librarian and even in the School, the post of Librarian is a

         very essential, where the School is having the strength of more

         than 400 students,           although the substantive post of this

         petitioner was Clerk and the duties of Librarian was in addition

         to the original post of Clerk and this fact seems to have been
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         overlooked by the authorities, who are said to have passed the

         order and as also while giving consideration to the claim of the

         petitioner for absorption, even the provisions of “the Taking

         over Act, 1981” have also not been taken into consideration

         because the provisions of the “the Taking over Act, 1981” do

         specifically provide for all employees to be treated to be a

         Government servant after the School in question is taken over

         and their absorption has to be made as per the eligibility and the

         qualification being possessed by them on the date of absorption

         in view of the Full Bench judgment rendered on the subject in

         issue.

                            23. Insofar as the issues of non sanctioned post

         is concerned, admittedly, this petitioner has already worked for

         more than two decades and, therefore, in view of the ratio laid

         down by the Hon’ble Full Bench in the case of Braj Kishore

         Singh (supra) and as also the law laid down by the Hon’ble

         Apex Court in the case of Yashwant Hari Katakkar v. Union of

         India & Ors as reported in (1996) 7 SCC 113, the petitioner has

         made out a case for absorption. The relevant extract of the

         judgment reads as under:-

                                                       “…….The appellant having

                                 served the Government for almost two
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                                  decades it would be unfair to treat him as

                                  temporary/quasi-permanent.      Keeping     in

                                  view the facts and circumstances of this case

                                  we hold that the appellant shall be deemed

                                  to have become permanent after he served

                                  the Government for such a long period. The

                                  services of the appellant shall be treated to

                                  be in permanent capacity and he shall be

                                  entitled to the pensionary benefits. We allow

                                  the appeal, set aside the judgment of the

                                  Tribunal and direct the respondents to treat

                                  the appellant as having been retired from

                                  service on 7-3-1980 after serving the

                                  Government for 18 1/2 years (more than 10

                                  years of permanent service) and as such his

                                  case for grant of pension be finalised within

                                  six months from the receipt of this order. The

                                  appellant shall be entitled to all the arrears

                                  of pension from the date of retirement. No

                                  costs.”

                            24.     Taking note of the principles laid down by

         the Hon’ble Full Bench and as also by Hon’ble Apex Court in
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         the aforementioned judgments, the petitioner has made a case

         for absorption, as the petitioner, continued in service

         uninterruptedly for long period within the staffing pattern and

         continued to receive salary as against the post applicable in the

         said School and further with his continuity in service for almost

         two decades, it would be unfair to treat this petitioner differently

         and therefore, this Court is of the view that the duties discharged

         by this petitioner as against the post, on which the appointment

         was made by the then Managing Committee is required to be

         recognized for the purpose of all consequential benefits

         including pensionary benefits.

                            25. For directing the consequential benefits from

         the date of absorption till the date of passing of the first order of

         rejection of his claim for absorption, this Court is persuaded

         from the facts obtaining on records that petitioner was willfully

         prevented by the Respondents from discharging his duties and in

         view of the ratio as laid down by the Hon’ble Apex Court in the

         case of State of Uttar Pradesh v. Dayanand Chakrawarty &

         Ors as reported in (2013) 7 SCC 595, wherein, it has

         categorically been held as follows:-

                                                       “…………….. If an employee

                                 is   prevented         by   the   employer   from
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                                  performing his duties, the employee cannot

                                  be blamed for having not worked, and the

                                  principle of "no pay no work" shall not be

                                  applicable to such employee.   ………..”

                            26.     Since the authorities do not dispute the

         eligibility and the qualification of this petitioner as per the

         provisions of “the Taking over Act, 1981” which issue has been

         put at rest by the Hon’ble Full Bench in the case of Ram

         Naresh Prasad Nirala (supra) wherein, it has specifically been

         directed that in no uncertain terms that the crucial point of time

         and, indeed, the outer limit for such consideration is the date of

         the report of the Special Board for consideration of eligibility,

         qualification and suitability of teachers for absorption and in the

         case of this petitioner, although, such exercise of inspection or

         special report, which was actually required to have been done

         by the authorities, are said to have been prepared after almost

         six years of formal decision of taking over in the year 1991 and

         this petitioner having been found to be working even after such

         taking over of School and was only stopped to discharge the

         duties against the said post in the year 2010, while for no

         prudent explanation, the claim of this petitioner, is said to have

         been rejected for the first time only in the year 2012, by passing
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         the first rejection order as contained in Memo No. 11MU1-

         56/2010-2104 dated 29.10.2012 (Annexure-17) further with the

         impugned order as contained in Memo no. 11/Mu 1-115/2010-

         1966 dated 08.08.2017 (Annexure -21), as such, the petitioner’s

         services are required to be calculated for all the consequential

         benefits from the date of taking over till the date first rejection

         order passed in the year 2012.

                            27.    This Court, upon having given anxious

         consideration to the orders passed by the authorities, finds that

         the reasons, so assigned for rejecting the claim of the petitioner,

         does not show the material consideration and due deliberations,

         which has been discussed above and furthermore, having acted

         beyond the scope of “the Taking over Act, 1981” , therefore,

         this Court is of the view that the rejection of claim of this

         petitioner by the impugned order dated dated 08.08.2017 is

         wholly unsustainable and, accordingly, is set aside as being

         violative of the statutory scheme and as also the judicial

         pronouncement made on the subject in issue detailed aforesaid.

                            28. Consequently, this Court directs absorption

         of this petitioner from the date of taking over and all

         consequential benefits, including salaries are required to be paid

         to this petitioner till the date of passing of the first rejection
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                      order dated 29.10.2012, as for no prudent reason, the authorities

                      sat tight over the matter and did not decide the claim of the

                      petitioner at par with others, and as such, the respondents are,

                      accordingly, expected to proceed for settlement of pension, and

                      pensionary benefits, at par with other similarly situated persons

                      in whose favour, absorption has been made from the said school,

                      and entire exercise are required to be completed within a period

                      of three months from the date of production of a copy of this

                      order.

                                         29. Accordingly, the writ petition stands allowed

                      in the terms aforesaid.



                                                               (Ajit Kumar, J)
     perwez
AFR/NAFR                AFR
CAV DATE                06.01.2026
Uploading Date          06.02.2026
Transmission Date       N/A


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