Holding

The Railway Services (Pension) Rules, 1993 do not apply to casual labourers with temporary status, and such employees are not entitled to family pension; the High Court judgment is set aside.

Summary

The widow of Ram Niwas, a project casual labourer who was later treated as a temporary employee under a scheme approved by the Supreme Court, applied for family pension after his death in 1988. The Railway Administration rejected the claim, citing the Railway Services (Pension) Rules, 1993, which they said did not extend pension benefits to temporary employees. The Central Administrative Tribunal allowed the claim, but the Rajasthan High Court dismissed the widow's writ petition. On appeal, the Supreme Court held that the 1993 Pension Rules, framed under the proviso to Article 309 of the Constitution, do not apply to casual labourers who are merely given temporary status, and therefore such employees are not entitled to family pension. The Court distinguished between "casual labour with temporary status" and "temporary railway servants" and emphasized that recruitment must follow statutory rules. The High Court judgment was set aside and the appeals were allowed, with a direction under Article 142 that any pension benefit already granted shall not be recovered.

Issues considered

The applicability of the Railway Services (Pension) Rules, 1993 to a casual labourer who has been accorded temporary status.
Whether the widow of a casual labourer with temporary status is entitled to family pension.
Whether the Rajasthan High Court's dismissal of the widow's writ petition was legally correct.
The interpretation of the Railway Establishment Manual in relation to pension rights.

Legislation cited

Constitution of Indias. Article 142, s. Article 309, s. Article 311
Railway Services (Pension) Rules, 1993s. Rule 2

Subjects

pensionfamily pensioncasual labourtemporary statusRailway Services (Pension) RulesConstitution of IndiaArticle 309Article 311Article 142Railway Establishment Manualrecruitment rules

Judgment

GENERAL MANAGER, NORTH WEST RAILWAY & ORS. A
V.
CHANDA DEVI

DECEMBER 12, 2007
B
[S.B. SINHA AND HARJIT SINGH BEDI, JJ.]

Railway Establishment Manual-Chapter XX rr. 2001, 2002,
2005-Casual labour-Attaining temporary status-Pensionary
benefits (family pension)-Entitlement-Held: The employee was not c
entitled to benefit ofpensionary benefits under the Pension Rules-
There is distinction between casual labour having temporary status
and a temporary employee-Moreover, the process for regularization
. had started after the death of the employee-Direction for not
~
recovering any benefit, ifalready granted-Railway Services (Pension) D
Rules, 1993-Constitution ofIndia, 1950-Article 142.

Husband of respondent No.1 was appointed as a project casual
labour. In a writ petition seeking regularization of similarly situated
employees, a scheme for regularization was suggested and the same E
was accepted by the Court, making the scheme effective w.e.t: 1.1.1981.
Railway Administration, in terms of the Scheme, issued an Office Order
for considering the casual workers as temporary employees. Name of
the husband of respondent No.1 was specifically mentioned in the Order.
By another Circular date of applicability of the Scheme was made F
effective from 11.3.1983. Thereafter, in 1983 husband of respondent No.
1 expired. Respondent No.1 applied for compassionate appointment.
It was rejected on the ground that as per Railway Rules, pension was
not admissible to substitute temporary employees. She filed original
application questioning the validity of the Rules. Central Administrative G
Tribunal allowed the same. Writ Petition filed thereagainstwas dismissed
by High Court. Hence the present appeal.
Allowing the appeals, the Court
403 H
404 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2007) 13 (Addi.) S.C.R.

A HELD: 1. The provisions of Railway Services (Pension) Rules,
1993, made in view of the proviso appended to Article 309 of the
Constitution ofIndia cannot be said to have any application in the instant
case. \Vhatwas protected by conferring temporary status upon a casual
employee was his service and by reason thereof the pension rules were
B not made applicable. A workman had not been and could not have been
given a status to which he was not entitled to.
[Paras 10 and27] (411-E, F; 4~9-D]
2. The Railway servants, if appointed on a regular basis, would
enjoy a status having regard to the provisions contained in Article 309
C of the Constitution oflndia. Recruitment Rules are applicable to the
temporary and permanent government servants and they are governed
by the Rules framed under the proviso appended to Article 309 of the
Constitution oflndia. Their services are indisputably protected under
Article311(2) thereof. (Para 12] [411-G; 412-A]
D
)
Moti Ram Deka etc. v. General Manager, NE.F Railways, Maligaon,
Pandu, etc. AIR (1964) SC 600 and Khem Chandv. Union ofIndia and
Ors., AIR (1958) SC 300, relied on.
E 3. Chapter XX of Railway Establishment Manual provides for
casual labour. The case of the employee in question was governed by
Chapter XX of the Manual Rule2001 excludes the applicability thereof
which govern the service conditions of permanent and temporary
staff. [Paras 11and14] [411-F; 412-C)
F Ram Kumar and Ors. v. Union ofIndia and Ors., [1988] 1 SCC 306
and Union ofIndia and Ors. v. Rabia Bikaner and Ors. [1997] 6 SCC 580,
referred to.
4. The contrast between a casual labour having a temporary status
G and a temporary servant may immediately be noticed from the definition
of a temporary railway servant contained in Rule 1501 occurring in
Chapter XV of the Manual High Court failed to notice that when casual
labour has been excluded from the definition ofpermanent or temporary
employee, he with temporary status could not have become so and there
H is no legal sanction therefor. It is for the legislature to put the employees
GENERAL MANAGER, NORTH WEST RAILWAY v. 405
CHANDA DEVI
to an establishment in different categories. It may create a new category A
to confer certain benefits to a particular class of employees. Such a
power can be exercised also by the Executive for making rules under
the proviso appended to Article 309 of the Constitution oflndia.
[Paras 20 and 26) [416-F,G; 418-H; 419-A,B]
B
Dakshin Railway Employees Union, Trivandrum Division v. General
manager, Southern Railway and Ors., (1987) 1SCC677, referred to.

5. In the Office Order dated 24.1.1989, the designation has been
shown as T.S. Helper CSI (Construction) i.e. temporary status as per
the CSI (Construction). However, wrongly itwas said to bea pensionable c
post. Before the High Court, an additional affidavit was filed by the
Railway Administration wherein inter alia it was stated that the
screening tests were held long thereafter viz. some time in the year 1999.
Only upon holding a screening test, the services of the employees
concerned could be regularized; and as in the case of the employee in D
question he had expired in the year 1988, he had not and could not have
undergone any screening test and that no pensionary benefit or benefit
of family pension was admissible to him. [Para 21] [417-A, B, CJ
6. Recruitment of Government Employees must be made strictly E
in terms of the statutory rules. Entitlements of the employees being
governed by statute or statutory rules, the question ofattribution ofany
malice by the High Court was clearly erroneous. Mala fide cannot be
attributed to a legislation. It is only its validity, that can be challenged.
f In these cases, validity of the Rules were not under challenge. F
[Paras 25 and 28) (419-E; 418-G]
7. In absence of any statutory rules framed, executive instructions
can be issued in relation to the matter governed by the constitutional
provisions. The Railway Manual was an amalgam ofvarious Circulars
G
issued from time to time. Such executive instructions or rules framed
would be statutory in nature. [Para 24] (418-F]
Khem Chandv. Union ofIndia and Ors., AIR (1958) SC, 300 relied
on.
H
406 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2007] 13 (Addl.) S.C.R.

A 8. However, in exercise of jurisdiction under Article 142 of the
Constitution oflndia it is directed that in the event the respondent No.1
herein have been given any benefit including the benefit of family
pension, the same shall not be recovered. [Para 29] (419-F]
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 5833 of
B 2007.
From the Judgment and Order dated 25.04.2005 of the High Court
of Rajasthan at Jaipur Bench at Jaipur in WP No. 5317 of 2004.
WITH
c
C.A. No. 5839 of 2007
Paramjit Singh Patwaha, Amanpreet Singh Rahi, Saket Singh, Varuna
Bhandari Gugnani, R.C. Kathi and B. Krishna Prasad for the Appellants.
D P.K. Sharma, Gaurav Nagar, S.K. Mishra and Debasis Misra for
the Respondent.
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
S.B. SINHA, J. Leave granted.
E
l. Interpretation of some of the provisions of the Indian Railway
Establishment Manual (hereinafter referred to as "the Manual") is in
question in these appeals which arise out of judgments of the Rajasthan
High Court, Jaipur Bench at Jaipur dated 25.4.2005 in DB Civil W.P.
F No. 5317 of2004 and dated 25.4.2005 in D.B. Civil WP No. 5316 of •
2004 affirming orders dated 12.4.2004 in O.A. No. 536/2003 and order
dated 7.4.2003 in O.A. No. 233/2003 respectively.
2. The fact of the matter is as under :
G Smt. Santosh, Respondent No. 1, in Civil Appeal arising out ofSLP
(C) No. 23737 of2005, is widow of one Ram Niwas who was appointed
as a project casual labour on 8.11.1979. The case of regularisation of
the similarly situated employees came up for consideration before this
Court inlnder Pal Yadav and Ors. v. Union ofIndia and Ors., [1985]
H 2 SCC 648. During hearing of the said matter from time to time, the Court
GENERAL MANAGER, NORTH WEST RAILWAY v. 407
CHANDA DEVI [SINHA, J.]

• inter alia suggested for framing of a scheme of regularisation; pursuant A
whereto and in furtherance whereof, proposals were placed before this
Court by the Railway Administration of Union of India from time to time.
A Scheme was eventually produced before this Court; clause 5.1 whereof
reads thus:
"5.1. As a result of such deliberations, the Ministry of Railways B
have now decided in principle that casual labour employed on
projects (also known as 'project casual labour') may be
treated as temporary on completion of 360 days of continuous
employment. The Ministry have decided further as under:
c
(a) These orders will cover :
(i) Casual labour on projects who are in service as on January
1, 1984; and
(ii) Casual labour on projects who, though not in service on
~
D
January 1, 1984, had been in service on Railways earlier and
had already completed the above prescribed period (360 ;

days) of continuous employment or will complete the said
prescribed period of continuous employment on re-
engagement in future. (A detailed letter regarding this group
E
follows.)
(b) The decision should be implemented in phases according
to the schedule given below :"
... ~
The said Scheme was accepted by this Court subject to the
F
modification that clause 5. l(a) (i), the date from which the Scheme was
made effective was from January, 1981.
3. The Railway Administration in terms of the said scheme during
pendency of the said Writ petition issued an Office Order; the relevant
portion whereof reads as under:- G
;
"l. Under instruction given in the above referred letter of Head
Office those Casual Workers who have completed 3 years on
01.01.1984 but less than 5 years and who have worked for more
than 1095 days have been ordered to be considered as Temporary
H
408 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2007] 13 (Addi.) S.C.R.

A employees from 01.01.1985.
2. Those casual workers who have worked for 360 days on
31.12.83 but less than 3 years have been ordered to be considered
as temporary employees from 01.01.1986. Therefore, the
following casual workers are eligible to be considered as temporary
B
employees but they will be appointed only after their selection by
the selection committee."

4. In the said Office Order, the name of said Ram Niwas was shown
at Serial No. 15 which reads as under:-
c
"S. Name Date of Date of Total Date for
No. Birth first Service being
appoin- days on considered
tment 31.12.83 Temporary
D employees
* *** *** *** *** ***
15. Ramniwas 07.03.56 08.11.79 707 01.01.86"
Sinp,h
Syotaaj Singh
E
5. By reason of another circular letter, the date 1.1.1984 was
changed to 11.3.1983. Ram Niwas expired on 29.12.1988. By an order
dated 24.1.1989, the application of Respondent no. I herein to give
appointment to her on compassionate ground was rejected stating: • ~

F "It is regretted and informed that Shri Ram Niwas S/o Shyotaj Singh
under CSI (C) Jaipur expired on 29.12.88.
TI1e particular of the employee is as under. The employee was not
expired while on injured on duty.
G *** *** ***
The settlement of employee is being done shortly."
His wife filed an application for grant of family pension. The said
H application was rejected by an Order dated 23.4.2003 stating:
GENERAL MANAGER, NORTH WEST RAILWAY v. 409
CHANDA DEVI [SINHA, J.]
"Ref: Your Application Letter dated 5.3 .2005 A
Your application for grant of family pension has been examined
and found that as per Railway Rules, Pension is not admissible to
substitute temporary employees.
For information please. B
Sd/-
Sr. D.P.O.
Jaipur"
6. Original application came to be filed by the first respondent before C
the Central Administrative Tribunal questioning the validity of the said Rule.
The same was allowed by a Judgment and Order dated 7.4.2004 relying
on or on the basis of a decision of a co-ordinate Bench of the Tribunal at
Ahmedabad Bench in Smt. Val/am Badia v. Union ofIndia, (2003) 2
SLJ CAT 271 which was affirmed by a Division Bench of the Gujarat D
High Court in Union ofIndia v. Shanti Devi, Ramawat Jakri & Ors.
[Special Leave Appeal No.12456/03 etc. decided on 21.7.2003). The
Writ Petition filed thereagainst by 1he appellant was dismissed by a Bench
of 1he Rajasthan High Court holding :
"The controversy with regard to 1he matter being covered in favour E
of the petitioner or the respondent widow of Ram Niwas by virtue
ofjudgments either referred before the Tribunal or before this Court
in the context of findings given with regard to the status of Ram
Niwas, loose all its significance. The said controversy would have
been relevant only if it was proved that the status of Ram Ni was F
was that of a casual labour with temporary status. Surely, if such
was a finding given by us, we would have discussed the matter
threadbare on the basis of judgment in Union ofIndia and Ors
v. Rabia Bikaner and Ors (supra) and the judgment reported in
1988(1) SCC 306 and the order of review passed by the Supreme G
Court in the matter of Ram Kumar and Ors v. Union ofIndia
and Ors., (1996) l All India Services Law Journal Vol. IV 116.
We may, however, mention that the counsel defending widow of
Ram Ni was vehemently contends that the judgment rendered by
the Supreme Court in UOJ v. Rabia Bikaner (supra) cannot H
410 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2007] 13 (Addi.) S.C.R.

A possibly be applied as the same is based upon judgment in Ram
Kumar (supra) which has been reviewed in view of the t ..
I

introduction of policy of pension to temporary employees by the
Railway itself"

7. Mr. Paramjit Singh Patwalia, learned senior counsel appearing on
B
behalf of the appellant would draw our attention to different provisions
of the Indian Railway Establishment Manual, the relevant provisions
whereof would be noticed hereinafter, and contend that the Tribunal and >-
consequently, the High Court committed a serious error in passing the
c impugned judgment insofar as they failed to take into consideration the
distinctive feature of a workman with a status of temporary employee and
one as casual labour with a temporary status. It was urged that the High ,.
Court as also the Tribunal committed a serious error insofar as they failed
to take into consideration the decisions of this Court in Ram Kumar and
Ors. v. Union ofIndia and Ors., [1988] 1 SCC 306 as also its review
D
order reported in Ram Kumar v. Union of India and Ors. (1996) (1)
SLJ 116 and Union ofIndia and Ors. v. Rabia Bikaner and Ors., [1997]
6 sec 580 in their proper prospective. It was further submitted that the
view taken by the Tribunal and the High Court is wholly unsustainable
inasmuch as the word "pensionable" occurring in the letter dated
E
24.1.1989 was an apparent mistake which in terms of the provisions of
the Manual should have been ignored. Even the Circular letter issued by
the Western Railway on the basis whereof the workman was given a
temporary status is of no value.
F 8. Mr. P.K. Sharma, learned counsel appearing on behalf of the
respondent, on the other hand, submitted that the case of the respondent
is governed by Railway Services (Pension) Rules - 1993. It was urged
that both in the scheme for appointment as also the letter dated 24.1.1989,
the Railway Administration having accepted that the Shri Ram Niwas
G husband of the first respondent was a temporary employee, it is
impennissible for the appellant now to change its stand.
• ~

9. We, before embarking upon the rival contentions of the learned
counsel for both the parties, intend to place on record that the provisions
H of the Railway Services (Pension) Rules have no application in the instant
GENERAL MANAGER, NORTH WEST RAILWAY v. 411
CHANDA DEVI [SINHA, J.]

- 1
case. The said Pension Rules came into force from 2.12.1993. Rule 2 of A
the Rules provides for application thereof only in respect of the following
category of candidates :
"2. Application - Save as otherwise expressly provided in these
rules, these rules shall apply to the following railway servants,
namely:- B

(1) any Group 'D' railway servant whose service was pensionable
-I
before the introduction of Pension System for Railway Servants
on the 16th day ofNovember, 1957;
(2) any non-pensionable railway servants who was in service on c
the 16th day of November, 1957 and who elected to be
governed by these rules,
(3) any non-pensionable railway servant who was in service on
the 1st day of January, 1986 and did not opt to be governed D
by the State Railway Provident Fund (Contributory) Rules;
-j
and
(4) any person entering a railway service on or after the 16th
November, 1957, except a person who is appointed on
contract or re-employed after superannuation or whose terms E.
of appointment specifically provide to the contrary."
10. A bare perusal of the aforementioned provisions would clearly
go to show that the statutory rules for grant of pension made in view of
4 the proviso appended to Article 309 of the Constitution oflndia cannot F
be said to have any application in the instant case.
11. The Manual was made for the purpose of simplification of various
circular letters issued by the competent authority from time to time. It is
divided in separate chapters. Chapter XIX provides for 'apprentices',
Chapter XX provides for 'casual labour'. G

12. Indisputably, the Railway servants, if appointed on a regular
basis, would enjoy a status having regard to the provisions contained in
Article 309 of the Constitution of India. Recruitment Rules are applicable
to the temporary and permanent government servants and they are H
412 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2007] 13 (Addi.) S.C.R.

A governed by the Rules framed under the proviso appended to Article ~09
of the Constitution of India Their services are indisputably protected under
Article 311(2) thereof. [See Moti Ram Deka etc. v. General Manager,
-
N.E.F. Railways, Maligaon, Pandu, etc., AIR (1964) SC 600]
13. In Khem Chand v. Union of India and Ors., AIR (1958) SC
B
300, this Court traced the history of Article 309 and 310 of the
Constitution of India as also the provisions of Indian Railway Service
,_
Establishment Code which governs the Railway servants. It was noticed
that the said Rules have originally been framed under Section 96-B (2)
of the Government of India Act, 1915.
c
14. Indisputably, the case of the Ram Niwas was governed by
Chapter XX of the Rules. Rule 2001 excludes the applicability
.... thereof
which govern the service conditions of permanent and temporary staff
stating;
D
"2001. (i) Definition of Casual Labour - Casual Labour refers to
I-
labour whose employment is intermittent, sporadic or extends over
short periods or continued from one work to another. Labour of
this kind is normally recruited from the nearest available source.
They are not ordinarily liable to transfer. The conditio~ applicable
E
to permanent and temporary staff do not apply to casual labour."
15. Rule 2002 lays down the rights and privileges admissible to casual
labour stating;
"2002. Entitlements and privileges admissible to Casual •
F
Labour - Casual Labour are not eligible for any entitlements and
privileges other than those statutorily admissible under the various
Acts, such as, Minimum Wage Act, Workmen's Compensation
Act, etc. or those specifically sanctioned by the Railway Board
from time to time."
G
16. Rule 2005 clearly lays down the entitlement and privileges
admissible to casual labour who are treated to be temporary i.e. given
temporary status in the following terms;

H 2005. Entitlements and Privileges admissib~e to Casual
GENERAL MANAGER, NORTH WEST RAILWAYv. 413
CHANDA DEVI [SINHA, J.)
Labour who are treated as temporary (i.e. given temporary A
i status) after the completion of I 2~ days or 360 days of
continuous employment (as the case may be).--(a) Casual labour
treated as temporary are entitled to the rights and benefits
admissible to temporary railway servants as laid down in Chapter
XXIII of this Manual. The rights and privileges admissible to such B
labour also include the benefit ofD & A Rules. However, their
service prior to absorption in temporary/permanent/regular cadre
after the required selection/screening will not count for the purpose
of seniority and the date of their regular appointment after
screening/selection shall determine their seniority vis-a-vis other c
regular/temporary employees. This is, however, subject to the
provision that if the seniority of certain individual employees has
already been determined in any other manner, either in pursuance
ofjudicial decisions or otherwise, the seniority so determined shall
not be altered. D
.. ,' Casual labour including Project casual labour shall be eligible to
count only half the period of service rendered by them after
attaining temporary status on completion of prescribed days of
continuous employment and before regular absorption, as qualifying
E
service for the purpose of pensionary benefit5. This benefit will be
admissible only after their absorption in regular employment
, Such
casual labour, who have attained temporary status, will also be
entitled to carry forward
.
the leave at their credit to new post' on
-
~

absorption in regular servic;e. Daily rated casual labour will not be
F
entitled to these benefits.
(b) Such casual labour who acquire temporary status, will not,
however, be brought on to the permanent or regular
establishment or treated as in regular employment on Railways
until and unless they are selected through regular Selection G
Board for Group D Posts in the manner laid down from time
"' to time. Subject to such orders as the Railway Board may issue
from time to time, and subject to such exceptions and
conditions like appointment on compassionate ground, quotas
f~r handicapped and e~-servicemen etc. as may be specified H
414 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2007] 13 (Addi.) S.C.R.

A in these orders they will have a prior claim over others to
<'
recruitment on a regular basis and they will be considered for
regular employment without having to go through employment
exchanges. Such of them who join as Casual labour before
attaining the age of28 years should be allowed relaxation of
B the maximum age limit prescribed for Group D posts to the
extent of their total service which may be either continuous or
in broken periods.
(c) No temporary posts shall be created to accommodate such
casual labour, who acquire temporary status, for the conferment
c of attendant benefits like regular scale of pay, increment etc.
After absorption in regular employment, half of the service
rendered after attaining temporary status by such persons
before regular absorption against a regular/temporary/
permanent post, will qualify for pensionary benefits, subject
D to the conditions prescribed in Railway Board's letter No.
E(NG)II/78/CL/12 dated 14-10-80. (Letter No. E(NG)II/85/
CL/6 dated 28-11-86 in the case of Project casual labour).
(d) Casual labour who have acquired temporary status and have
E put in three years continuous service should be treated at par
with temporary railway servants for purpose of festival
advance/Flood Advance on the same conditions as are
applicable to temporary railway servants for grant of such
advance provided they furnish two sureties from permanent
F railway employees. • .....
(e) Casual labour engaged on works, who attain temporary status
on completion of 120 days continuous employment on the
same type of work, should be treated as temporary employees
for the purpose of hospital leave in terms of Rule 554-R-I
G (1985 Edition).
A casual labour who has attained temporary status and has been 1
paid regular scale of pay, when re-engaged, after having been
discharged earlier on completion of work or for non-availability
H of further productive work, may be started on the pay last drawn
GENERAL MANAGER, NORTH WEST RAILWAY v. 415
CHANDA DEVI [SINHA, J.]

i by him. (This shall be effective from 2nd October, 1980). A
17. The aforementioned Rule 2005 replaced an earlier Rule being
Rule 251 occurring in Chapter XXV of the previous publication which
has inter alia been noticed by this Court in Ram Kumar and Ors. v.
Union of India and Ors., [1988] 1 SCC 306. Ranganath Misra, J.
B
speaking for a Division Bench noticing the different entitlements of an
~ employee who has acquired temporary status as noticed in Inderpal
Yadav' s case held;
"12. It is the stand of the learned Additional Solicitor General that
no pensionary benefits are admissible even to temporary railway c
servants and, therefore, that retiral advantage is not available to
casual labour acquiring temporary status. We have been shown the
different provisions in the Railway Establishment Manual as also
the different orders and directions issued by the Administration.
We agree with the learned Additional Solicitor General that retrial D
benefit of pension is not admissible to either ca~egory of
employees."
18. A clarification was, however, subsequently made in Ram Kumar
and Ors. v. Union of India and Ors., [1938] 1 SCC 306, stating;
E
"The only other question to be seen is with regard to entitlement
to pension. It appears that the Board on the basis of the Fourth
Pay Commission report has provided for pension at the time of
~ superannuation even to those who are temporary employees. In
paragraph 12 of our order on the basis of material then placed F
before us, we had taken the view that temporary employees were
not entitled to pension on superannuation. We direct the Railway
Board to consider the claim of temporary employees who are
before us for pension at the time of superannuation or otherwise
in view of the fact that the Board has taken its own decision G
differently. Obviously appropriate material had not been placed
before this Court when the submission of Mr. Ramaswamy for
Railway administration was accepted in the order. The decision is
beneficial to the employees and we direct that the Board's decision
H
416 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (2007] l3 (Addi.) S.C.R.

A may be implemented."
19. Ram Kumar (supra) was followed by this Court in Union of
India and Ors. v. Rabia Bikaner and Ors., [l 997] 6 SCC 580 stating:
"4. It is contended by the learned counsel for the respondent-
B widows that under para 25 l l - "Rights and Privileges admissible
to the casual labourers who are treated as temporary after
completion of six months' continuous service" - of the Railway
Establishment Manual, they are entitled to family pension. We find
it difficult to give acceptance to the contention. It is seen that every
C casual labourer employed in the railway administration for six
months is entitled to temporary status. Thereafter, they will be
empanelled. After empanelment, they are required to be screened
by the competent authority and as and when vacancies for
temporary posts in the regular establishment are available, they
D should be appointed in the order of merit after screening. On their
appointment, they are also required to put in minimum service of
one year in the temporary post. In view of the above position, if
any of those employees who had put in the required minimum
service of one year, that too after the appointment to the temporary
E post, died while in service, his widow would be eligible to pension
under the Family Pension Scheme, 1964. In all these cases, though
some of them have been screened, yet appointments were not
given since the temporary posts obviously were not available or in
some cases they were not even eligible for screening because the
F posts become available after the death. Under these circumstances,
the respondent-widows are not eligible for the family pension
benefits."
20. The contrast between a casual labour having a temporary status
G and a temporary servant may immediately be noticed from the definition
of a temporary railway servant contained in Rule 1501 occurring in Chapter
XV of the Manual.
"1501 (i) Temporary Railway Servants

H
Definition - A ''temporary railway servant" means a railway servant
GENERAL MANAGER, NORTH WEST RAILWAY v. 417
CHANDA DEVI [SINHA, J.]

i without a lien on a permanent post on a Railway or any other A
administration or office under the Railway Board. The term does
not include "casual labour", including 'casual labour with temporary

-
'
status', a "contract" or "part time" employee or an "apprentice"."

21. We have noticed hereinbefore that in the Office Order dated B
24.1.1989, the designation has been shown as T.S. Helper CSI
i (Construction) i.e. temporary status as per the CSI (Construction).
However, wrongly it was said to be a pensionable post. Before the High
Court, an additional affidavit was filed by the Railway Administration
wherein inter alia it was stated that the screening tests were held long c
thereafter viz. some time in the year 1999. Only upon holding a screening
test, the services of the employees concerned could be regularized; and
as in the case of Ram Niwas, he had expired in the year 1988, he had
not and could not have undergone any screening test and that no
pensionary benefit or benefit of family pension was admissible to him. D
-I
22. The decision of the Gujarat High Court relied upon by the
Tribunal as also the Division Bench, in our opinion, may not be correct.
It was held therein that as temporary servant also is entitled to pension
on his attaining the age of superannuation, the purported amendment in
the Railway Manual to the effect that they would enjoy the status of E
temporary employee is bad in law.
23. The Gujarat High Court in Rukhiben Rupabhai (supra), no
~
doubt on analyzing the scheme filed before this Court, opined :
"32. This change has been made by Railways after the Apex Court F
decision in Inder Pal Yadav case (supra). The original definition
'temporary railway servant' is clear, but in the above quoted
definition in Clause (1501), Railways have included the 'casual
labour with temporary status', thereby, taking them out from the
category of "temporary railway servant". How and why this change G
• has been made, what procedures were adopted for making the
change, there is no whisper, although, this change has grievously
" affected the casual labour becoming temporary on completion of
360 days continuous employment, and committed breach of the
Apex Court's decisions in lnder Pal Yadav case (supra) followed H
418 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (2007] 13 (Addi.) S.C.R.

A by Dakshin Railway Employees case (supra), making casual i" "
labour 'temporary railway servant'. Since there exists only four
categories, namely, (1) permanent, (2) temporary (3) casual labour
and (4) substitutes, casual labour, under the original scheme
"--
'
approved in cases referred to hereinbefore, becomes 'temporary
B railway servant', after completion of 360 days' continuous
employment, therefore, he cannot be made 'casual labour with
temporary status' by subsequent gerrymendering by the Railways
by its Circular dated 11th September 1986, which was not brought
to the notice of the Apex Court in Dakshin Railway Employees
c case (supra). Therefore, this Circular has no legal sanction, against
the Apex Court decisions in Inder Pal Yadav case (supra),
contrary to original scheme and as such, hit by Articles 14, 16,
21, 41/42 of the Constitution oflndia.";
but evidently the provisions of the.· Railway manual were not_
D
considered in their proper perspective.
What has been considered therein was that the Railway Mannual
should be given effect to as it governs the terms and conditions of service
of the employees working under the Railway Administration. A scheme
E when engrafted in a rule must be read in the context in which the same
was done. This Court while accepting the scheme, nowhere suggested
that the amendments made in the Railway Manual would be of no effect.
Even otherwise the same could not have been done.

F 24. In absence of any statutory rules framed, executive instructions
can be issued in relation to the matter governed by the constitutional
provisions. In Khem Chand (supra), this Court had noticed the relevant
constitutional provisions and opined that the Railway Manual was an
amalgam of various circulars issued from time to time. Such executive
G instructions or rules framed would be statutory in nature.
25. Mala fide cannot be attributed to a legislation. It is only its validity, ~

that can be challenged. In these cases, validity of the Rules were not under
challenge.
"
H 26. The Gujarat High Court in our opinion therefore, committed a
GENERAL MANAGER, NORTH WEST RAILWAYv. 419
CHANDA DEVI [SINHA, J.]
i fundamental error in opining otherwise. It failed to notice that when casual A
labour has been excluded from the definition of pennanent or temporary
employee, he with temporary status could not have become so and there
is no legal sanction therefor. It is for the legislature to put the employees
to an establishment in different categories. It may create a new category
to confer certain benefits to a particular class of employees. Such a power B
can be exercised also by the Executive for making rules under the proviso
appended to Article 309 of the Constitution oflndia. Dakshin Railway
Employees Union, Trivandrum Division v. General manager, Souther
Railway and Ors., [1987] 1 SCC 677 whereupon reliance has been
placed by the Gujarat High Court in Rukhiben Rupabhai (supra) does C
not lead to the said conclusion as was sought to be inferred by it. The
question therein was as to whether any direction was to be issued to include
the petitioners therein in the scheme for absorption as fonnulated pursuant
to the directions of the Court.
D
27. What was protected by conferring temporary status upon a
casual employee was his service and by reason thereof the pension rules
were not made applicable. A workman had not been and could not have
been given a status to which he was not entitled to.
28. Recruitment of Government Employees must be made strictly E
in tenns of the statutory rules. Entitlements of the employees being
governed by statute or statutory rules, the question of attribution of any
malice in our opinion by the Gujarat High Court was clearly erroneous.
29. For the reasons aforementioned, the impugned judgment cannot F
be sustained which is set aside accordingly. We, however, in exercise of
our jurisdiction under Article 142 of the Constitution of India direct that
in the event the respondent No. l herein have been given any benefit
including the benefit of family pension, the same shall not be recovered.
These appeals are allowed with the aforesaid observations and directions. G
In the facts and circumstances of this case, there shall, however, be no
order as to costs.
K.K.T. Appeals allowed.