Holding

The period of deputation prior to absorption cannot be counted for seniority under rule 3(3)(b), and the Central Government’s order fixing the year of allotment was valid; the High Court’s decision was affirmed.

Summary

Markandey Singh, a former Deputy Superintendent of Police in Uttar Pradesh, was absorbed into the Himachal Pradesh‑Delhi joint IPS cadre in 1963 and was allotted the year 1958 as his year of allotment. He later claimed that his officiation as Superintendent of Police while on deputation from 6 December 1961 to 13 May 1963 should be counted for seniority under the second proviso to rule 3(3)(b) of the Indian Police Service (Regulation of Seniority) Rules, and sought a revision of his year of allotment to 1956. The Central Government accepted his claim in 1973, but the High Court quashed that order, holding that deputation service before absorption could not be counted and that the representation was barred by limitation. The Division Bench upheld the High Court’s decision, and the Supreme Court affirmed that the period of deputation was ineligible for seniority, that the Central Government’s order was valid, and that the High Court was correct in rejecting the claim. Consequently, the appeals were dismissed, with the Court directing the Central Government only to adjust Singh’s salary scale in view of his service as a deputationist.

Issues considered

The period of officiation while on deputation before absorption into a State Police Service can be counted for seniority under the second proviso to rule 3(3)(b) of the IPS Seniority Rules.
Whether the Central Government’s order fixing the year of allotment as 1956 (later 1958) for Markandey Singh was valid.
Whether the High Court’s quashing of the Central Government’s order was legally correct.
Whether the representation made by Singh was barred by the limitation period under the service rules.
Whether the Central Government possessed the power to rectify its earlier order in the circumstances.

Legislation cited

Subjects

seniorityyear of allotmentIndian Police Servicedeputationpromotionrule 3(3)(b)seniority ruleslimitation periodadministrative lawnatural justice

Judgment

}
MARKANDEY SINGH, I.P.S., & ORS.
A
v.
M.L. BRANOT, I.P.S .. , & ORS.

_ MAY 4, 1988

[R.S._PATHAK, C.J., SABYASACHI MUKHARJI AND B
r S. NATARAJAN, JJ.]

Indian Police Service (Regulation of Seniority) Rules-Challeng-
ing order of High Court in matter of rectification of year of allotment of
i'
absorption in Indian Police Service, quashing order of allotment of year
in I.P.S. Cadre, passed by Central Government-Whether benefit of
~ officiation on senior post in l.P.S. cadre of a State while on deputation
c
to State Police Service of that State from another State, in matter of
fixation of year of allotment could be claimed under proviso to rule
3(3)(b) of.

Shri Markandey Singh, the appellant in the first appeal had D
joined the U.P. State Service as Deputy Superintendent of Police by
passing a competitive examination. In November, 1953, he joined on
deputation the Union Territory of Delhi which at that time had no
police service of its own. While on deputation and again in 1959-60, he
~ officiated as Superintendent of Police but was reverted back for
administrative reasons. In July, 1960, Hirnachal Pradesh Indian Police E
Service was created and thereafter, the Delhi-Himachal Pradesh Police
Service, in March 1961. On 6th December, 1961, Shri Singh was again
promoted to officiate as Superintendent of Police. During the period of
his officiation, his request for being absorbed in the Himachal Pradesh
State Police Service was accepted and he was absorbed in the State

' Service with effect from 27th November, 1962. He was confirmed in F
the Union Territory Cadre of I.P.S. with effect from 14th May, 1964.
He was assigned 1958 as the year of allotment. He made a representa-
lion against the order of allotment to the Central Government, claiming
the benefit of officiation from 6th December, 1961 to 13th May, 1963 in
the matter of fixation of his year of allotment. The Central Government
rejected the representation by order dt. 23rd April, 1970, which stated G
that in accordance with the orders contained in letter NO. 1/2/62 Delhi
J IDH(S) dated 23.8.1963 of the Home Ministry, all cadre posts held by
non-cadre officers not on the Select List were deemed to have been kept
in abeyance with effect from 27th September, 1961 onwards, and
according to the seniority rules, the service rendered by an officer prior
to his inclusion in the Select List could not be counted for seniority H
847
848 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1988] 3 S.C.R.
~
unless approved by the Central Government in consultation with the
A
Union Public: Service Commission under the Second Proviso to rule
3(3)(b) of the Seniority Rules. The requisite approval was not there.

Shri Singh made a second representation on 23rd June, 1970. The
Central Government by order dt. 21st June, 1973, accepted the second
B representation, gave the benefit of officiation in question and assigned '{
to him 1956 as the year of allotment. The reason why the second rep·
resentation was accepted was that in November, 1972, the Union Public
Service Commission had approved of the officiation of Shrl Singh in the
I.P.S. cadre for the relevant period under the second proviso to rule

c
3(3)(b) of the Seniority Rules "as they stood in May, 1963." In consequ-
ence, he was placed above Shri M.L. Bhanot, respondent, in the grada-
tion list of Union Territory ofl.P .S.

Feeling aggrieved by the order of the Central Government, Shri
l
Bhanot filed a writ petition before the High Court. A Single Judge
allowed the same, and quashed the order dt. 21st June, 1973. Against
D the judgment of the Single Judge, two appeals were filed before the
Division Bench of the High Court-<1ne by Shri Singh, and the second,
by the Union of India. Both the appeals were dismissed· by the Division
Bench. Aggrieved by the decision of the High Court, Shri Singh and the
Union oflndia filed these two appeals for reliefin this Court.
~
E Dismissing the appeals with directions, the Court,

HELD: The question involved in the appeals was whether the
year of allo.tment given to Shri Singh as 1958 was correct or not and
whether the order of the High Court, quashing the year of allotment

-r
given to Shri Singh as 1956 was bad or not. This depended upon the
F interpretation of the various rules and provisions and the determination
of the question whether an officer was entitled to the benefit of the
service rendered by him in a senior post in the l.P .S. cadre of a particu-
tare State while he was on deputation to the State Police Service of that
State from another State, for the purpose of working out the year of
allotment in accordance with the second proviso to unamended rule
G 3(3)(b) of the Indian Police Service (Regulation of Seniority) Rules (The
'Seniority Rules'). (8550-F]
-~
Rule 3(3)(b) of the Seniority Rules and the provisos thereto should
not be read in isolation. This rule is in the setting of other rules. The
Indian Police Sen1ce (Cadre) Rules (The 'Cadre Rules') read with the
H Indian Police Service (Fixation of Cadre Strength) Regulations of 1955
M. SINGH v. M.L. BHANOT 849
}'
fixed the strength of the Indian Police cadre of the Union Territories at
A
a particular figure. Out of them not more than 25% officers eligible for
recruitment to the I.P.S. cadre had to be substantive members of the
State (U.P.) Police Service at that time. The scheme, as it stood, fixed
the strength of the I.P.S. cadre State-wise. Recruitment by promotion
thereto could only be from the substantive members of the Police
)' Service of that particular State. So long as Shri Singh remained as a B
substantive member of the U.P. State Police Service, he could not possi-
bly be promoted to the joint I.P.S. Cadre of the Union Territories of
Delhi and Himachal Pradesh. He became eligible to his promotion to the
Union Territory, I.P.S. cadre only after he had been absorbed in the

~
Delhi-Himachal Pradesh State Police Service. Proviso (I) to Rule
3(3)(b) of the Recruitment Rules gives a clear indication that for
determining the year of allotment ad hoc the Central Government con-
c
suited the State Government concerned. In Explanation (2) again there
is a reference to a certificate by the State Govermnent concerned that
an officer would have officiated in a senior post but for his absence on
leave or appointment to any special post. It is apparent, therefore, that
the State Govermnent is the Government of the Police Service of which D
the officer concerned is a substantive member. In this case, as found by
the Division Bench of the High Court, Shri Singh had not chosen to be
absorbed in the Delhi-Himachal Pradesh State Police·Service and he
had gone back to his parent State of U.P. In case Shri Singh had not
> chosen to be .absorbed in the Deihi-Himachal Pradesh State Service and
had gone back to his parent State of U.P., then according the Explana- E
lion (2), the U.P. State Government might have issueifthe certificate to
facilitate his promotion to the l.P.S. Cadre of the U.P. State. The
Promotion Regulations of 1955 laid down the determination of the eligi-
bility of a substantive member of the State Police Service. Thereafter,
the names of the eligible officers were brought on the Select List, who
·'\. were to be approved by the Public Service Commission. Appointments F
by promotion to the I.P.S. cadre are made from the Select List. In the
event of promotion, but for the second proviso, the benefit of continu-
ons officiation on a senior post for fixing bis year of allotment is given to
an officer from the date after his being nominated on the State List. In
Explanation (1) of rule 3(3), there is no mention that deputationist
before his absorption in the State Police Service can get the benefit of G
such officiation. Therefore, it was not possible to accept the position
) that before his absorption Sbri Singh wa~ entitled to the benefit of his
officiation. The Division Bench of the High Court so held. The Division
Bench was right on this aspect of the matter. [86ID-H; 862A-D]

The Seniority Rides 1954 including rule 3(3)(b) were amended with H
850 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1988) 3 S.C.R.

A effect from 22nd April, 1967. Before the amendment, the appellant Shri
Singh had been confirmed in the Union Territory cadre of the Indian
Police Service with effect from 14th May, 1964, and had been allotted
1958 as the year. The question of allotment of Shri Singh in accordance
with the Seniority Rules had ripened before the amendment of 1967.
There is no rule vitiating the operation of the old seniority rules.
B Reliance was placed hy the appellant Shri Singh on the decision of this
Court in Arun Ranjan Mukharjee v. Union of India & Ors., [1971]
Suppl. S.C.R. 574-A.I.R. 1971 S.C. 1814, and the appellant submitted
that Division Bench was in error in not following the ratio of the decision
in that case. The Court could not accept this submission. [8620-E; 863C]

In this case, the Central Government had not fixed the date of
c appellant's absorption in the Select List as 1958 out of the hat, so to say.
It had relevance as it appeared from the basis of the order of the
Central Government. The appellant, who was a deputationist before
the absorption in the State Police Service could not he entitled to get
such officiation. In case, Shri Singh bad not chosen to he absorbed in
D the Delhi-Himachal Pradesh State Police Service and bad gone hack to
his parent State of U.P., then, according to explanation (2) the U.P.
State Government might have issued the certificate to facilitate his
promotion to the I.P.S. cadre of the U.P. State. But so long as Shri
Singh remained a substantive member of the U.P. State Police Service,
he could not possibly he permitted to join I.P.S. cadre of the Union
E Territories of Ddhi and Himachal Pradesh. In accordance with the rules,
he became eligible to his promotion to the Union Territory I.P .S. cadre
only after he had been absorbed in the Delhi-Himachal Pradesh Police
Service. [864F-H]

The rules with which the Court was concerned, which state that
F certain year should he assigned by the Government in consultation with
the Public Servke Commission, must he interpreted in the light of the
well-established rule of construction that if the words of a statute are in
themselves precise and unambiguous no more is necessary than to
expound these words in their natural and ordinary sense, the words
themselves in such a case best declaring the intention of the legislature.
G See in this connection the observations of this Court in The Collector of
Customs, Baroda v. Digvijaysinhji Spinning & Weaving Mills Ltd.,
[1962] I SCR 896, 899. [86SA-B]

The officiation in a senior post is one of the indispensable ingre-
dients in the application of rule 3(3)(h). But it must he borne in mind
H that this was not a sine qua non. In this case, before the absorption of
M. SINGH v. M.L. BHANOT 851

the appelant in the Himachal Pradesh-Delhi I.P.S. cadre, his officia-
A
tion had not been taken by the Central Government into consideration.
The Court could not say that the Central Government had not acted
properly. [865E-F]

This appeal was not concerned with the assignment of year 1958
to Shri Singh but rule 16, clause .(l)(iii) of the Service Rules provides for B
certain penalties and one of the penalties, inter alia, is the effect of
superseding him in promotion to a selection post and such is appealable.
The High Court was right tbat appeal does not necessarily lie only
against the order imposing penalty and it is also open to entertain
appeal when the service rule was interpreted to the disadvantage of
member of the service but rule 17 bars the filing of appeal after the
expiry of 45 days. Proviso to the said rule, however, gives discretion to
c
the appellate authority to condone the delay if sufficient cause is shown.
Rule 24 of All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules 1969 pro-
vides for review within different periods. Under that rule since Shri
Singh could have filed an application for reveiw within one year, in this
case remedy of review by Shri Singh had also become barred when the D
second order was passed. [865G-H; 866A-B]

It· appeared that there is provision for appeal in the order of this
nature. Failure to prefer an appeal or apply for review was no bar to the
submission of memorials to the President. In December, 1963, in this
case, the year of allotment was assigned to Shri Singh. Shri Singh made E
the first representation in August, 1969, after the period of limitation
had expired. It was contended by the appellant relying on the full Bench
decision of the Punjab & Haryana High Court in Sunder Lal & Ors. v.
The State of Punjab, [1970] SLR 59 that in a case of bona fide mistake,
there was always the power to rectify. It was emphasized that every
Administrative authority has an inherent right to rectify its own mis- F
takes. It was doubtful that inherent power could be invoked if there was
no reason for re-fixing the appellant's year. If belated claims are allowed
arbitrarily, an atmosphere of uncertainty would prevail. There should
be no sense of uncertainty among public service. Furthermore, it was
clear that if the fixation of year 1958 was a mistake, the first representa-
tion was rejected with the order dated 23rd April, 1970. There, the G
Government's order reiterated that in accordance with the order con-
tained in the Home Ministry's letter to which reference was made, all
cadre posts held by the non-cadre officers not on Select List were
deemed to have been kept in abeyance with effect from 27th September.
1961, onwards. As such Shri Singh could not have claimed that he had
been officiating in the cadre post prior to coming on the Select List. In H
852 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1988] 3 S.C.R.

A those circumstances, Shri Singh could not be deemed to have officiated
in cadre post during the period 6th December, 1961to14th May, 1963.
The Central Government was of the view that the decision taken by it in
1963, frxlng the year of allotment was correct. It is true that Home
Ministry's letter referred to in Annexure-R 4, had been quashed by the
High Court but the same had no bearing on the correctness of the
B decision taken by the Central Government in 1963, because at the relev-
ant time, the letter was there and the Central Government was bound to
act in accordance therewith. The contention of the appellant that there
was no period of limitation for the grant of the approval was not relev-
ant. It was, therefore, clear that there was no scope of acceptance of the
second representation. In the said order, there was no mention of any
mistake. [866C-H; 867A-CJ
c
When the second order was made, it affected Shri Bhanot
adversely because he in the meantime had been absorbed in the I.P .S. in
1957. It was not that the constitutionality of any provision was chal-
lenged as was the case in A. Janardhana v. Union of India & Ors.,
D [1983] 2 S.C.R. 936, 967. In this case, seniority of Shri Bhanot
would be adversely affected as he had acquired a year of allotment.
In the opinion of the Court, it should have been done upon notice to
Shri Bhanot. [867C-E)

The High Court was right In dismissing the writ petition of the
E appellant. Having regard to the facts of the case, the Central Govern-
ment was directed to rerrx the salary scale of the appellant, taking into
consideration the appellant's service in U.P. and Himachal Pradesh
cadre in the senior position as a deputationist. [867G I
•

Arun Ranjan Mukherjee v. Union of India & Ors., [1971) Suppl. __r
\ -
F S.C.R. 574-A.I.R. 1971 SC 1814; Madan Gopal Singh v. Union of
India, [1969] S.L.R. 576; D.R. Nim, I.P.S. v. Union of India, [1967] 2
S.C.R. 325; Government of India and Anr. v. C.A. Balakrishnana &
Ors., [1975] I S.L.R. 31; The Collector of Customs, Baroda v. Digvi-
jaysinhji Spinning & Weaving Mills Ltd., [1962) I S.C.R. 896, 899;
Ram Prakash Khanna & Ors., etc. v. S.A.F, Abbas & Ors., etc., AIR
G 1972 SC 2350; Sunder Lal & Ors. v. The State of Punjab, [1970) SLR
59; A. Janardhana v. Union of India & Ors., [1983) 2SCR 936,967 and
General Manager, South Central Railway Secundrabad & Anr., etc. v.
A. V.R. Siddhanti & Ors., etc., [1974) 3 SCR 207, referred to.

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal Nos.
H 1335-36of1976.
M. SINGH v. M.L. BHANOT [MUKHARJI, J.[ 853

From the Judgment and Order dated 9.12.75 of the Punjab & A
Haryana High Court in L,P.A. Nos. 231and267of1974.
. . •·' . ' ~ ; l

Markandey Singh, Appellant-in-person, in CA. No. 1335 of 1976
and Respondent-in-person in CA. No. 1336 of 1976.

Y Girish Chandra, C.V. Subba Rao and K.S. Guruswamy for the B
appellants in CA. No. 1336 of 1976,

V.C. Mahajari, for the Respondent In 1335 of 1976.

The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

SABYASACHI MUKHARJI, J. These two appeals are connec-
c
ted. These deal with the rectification of year of allotment of absorption
of the appellant in the first appeal and respondent in the second one-
Shri Markandey Singh (hereinafter called the appellant in the first
appeal and respondent in the second appeal) in the Indian Police
Service. Shri M.L. Bhanot is the respondent in the first appeal. He is D
appellant in the second appeal being Civil Appeal No. 1336 of 1976.
By the order dated 21st July, 1973, Shri Markandey Singh was assigned
1956 as the year of allotment in I.P.S. cadre. Shri Bhanot challenged
the said order. The same was quashed by the learned single judge of
Punjab & Haryana High Court on 4th April, 1974. Letters Patent
Appeal against the said order was dismissed by the Division Bench of E
the said High Court on 9th December, 1975. The first appeal aforesaid
arises froni the said decision. In order to appreciate the position, it
may be relevant to note that Shri Markandey Singh the appellant in the
first appeal joined the tJ .P. State Service as Deputy Superintendent
of Police on 17th November, 1950 by passing a competitive examina-
tion. Two years later he was confirmed as such. In November, 1953, he F
joined on deputation the Union Territory of Delhi which had at that
time no police service of its own. While on deputation in 1958 and
again in 1959,60, the appellant had officiated as Superintendent of
Police but for administrative reasons was reverted back. In July, 1960,
Himachal Pradesh Indian Police Service was created and thereafter
the ·Delhi Himachal Pradesh Police Service in March, 1961. On 6th G
December, 1961, Shri Singh was again promoted to officiate as
Superintendent of Police. During the period of his officiation, his
request for being absorbed in the Himachal Pradesh State Police
Service was accepted and by an order dated 7th February, 1963, he was
absorbed in the State Service with effect from 27th November, 1962.
While he was continuing to officiate in the senier post as aforesaid, on H
854 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1988] 3 S.C.R.

A 30th April, 1965, he was confirmed in the Union Territory Cadre of
I.P.S. with effect from 14th May, 1964. He·was assigned 1958 as the
year of allotment. He, however, made representation against the
order of allotment in August, 1969 to the Central Government claim-
ing the benefit of officiation from 6th December; 1961 to 13th May,
1963 in the matter of fixation of his year of allotment. On 14th May,
B 1963, the appellant's name had been brought on the select list of the
officers to be promoted to the Indian Police Service and he was
recrnited with effect from the same date. It may be noted that during
the preceding period of officiation as mentioned hereinbefore he was
not on the select list. On 23rd April, 1970, his representation was
rejected by the Central Government. He made a second representa-
tion on 23rd June, 1970. Shri Bhanot had appeared in the I.f>.S.
c Examination. He was successful and recruited in the Police Service in
October, 1957. The year of allotment assigned to him was 1957. Shri
Bhanot, was allotted the year 1957 on his joining the service by exami-
nation and the appellant allotted the year 1958 as mentioned hereinbe-
fore. In November, 1962, the respondent, Shri Bhanot was promoted
D as Superintendent of Police in the Union Territory of Delhi with effect
from 13th May, 1961. In November, 1966, reorganisation of State of
Punjab took place and at that time Shri Bhanot was allotted to the
joint I.P.S. Cadre of Delhi and Himachal Pradesh. On coming to know
in December, 1972 about the second representation made by Shri
Singh, Shri Bhanot wrote to the Central Government that he having
E been allotted the year 1957 was senior to Shri Singh and if any change
was brought about in the year of allotment of Shri Singh which was
1958, he, the respondent, should be intimated of the reasons so as to
enable him to make an effective representatfon. According to the
respondent, which has been accepted by the Division Bench of the
High Court of Punjab & Haryana in the impugned judgment, he did
F not hear anything from the Central Government in spite of the several
reminders. On 21st June, 1973, the Central Government by its order of
the same date gave the benefit of officiation for:cll period from 6th
December, 1961 to 13th May, 1963 to Shri Sih~h and accepted his
representation and assigned to him 1956 as the year of allotment. In
consequence, Shri Singh was placed below one Shri B.P. Marwaha and
G above Shri Bhanot in the gradation list of Union Territory of I.P.S.
Feeling aggrieved, Shri Bhanot filed the writ petition being Writ Peti-
tion No. 12 of 1974 before the High Court. The learned single judge
allowed the same. He held that Shri Singh being on deputation was not
entitled to the benefit of officiation on senior post prior to 27th
November, 1962 with effect from which he was absorbed in Delhi
H Himachal Pradesh State Police Service. The representation made by
Shri Singh was barred by time.
M. SINGH v. M.L. BHAN OT [MUKHARJI, J. [ 855

It was further held by the learned single judge that acceptance of A
the second representation of Shri Singh without giving an opportunity
to Shri Bhanot was in violation of the principles of natural justice. In
the premises the order dated 21st June, 1973 was quashed by the
learned single judge.

There were two appeals before the Division Bench- one was B
filed by Shri Singh against the judgment of the learned single judge
and the other was filed by the Union of India. Both these appeals were
disposed of by the Division Bench by judgment in Letters Patent
Appeal No. 231 of 1974 and for the reasons given in Letters Patent
Appeal No. 231 of 1974, the appeal by the Union of India was also
dismissed and being aggrieved by the said decision, the Union of India
has preferred the second appeal herein namely Civil Appeal No. 1336
c
of 1976.

The question involved in these appeals is whether the year of
allotment given to Shri Singh as 1958 was correct or not and whether
the order passed by the High Court both of the learned single judge D
which was later upheld by the Division Bench to quash the year of
allotment in favour of Shri Singh for the year 1956 was bad or not. this
depends upon the interpretation of various rules and provisions. The
main question which falls for consideration in these two appeals is
whether the service rendered by one in a senior post in the l.P.S.
Cadre of a particular State while the incumbent was on deputation to E
the State Police Service of that State from another State was entitled to
the benefit for the purpose of working out the year of allotment in
• accordance with second. proviso to rule 3(3)(b) of the Seniority Rules .
We are concerned with the unamende<! rule 3(3) of the said Rules. The
relevant part of th~ said rule reads as follows:
F
"3(3} The year of allotment of an officer appointed to the
Service after the commencement of these rules, shall be

(a) Where the officer is appointed to the Service on
the result of a competitive examination, the year
following the year in which such examination was G
held;

(b) Where the officer is appointed to the Service by
promotion in accordance with rule 9 of the
Recruitment Rules, the year of allotment of the
junior-most among the officers recruited to the H
856 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1988] 3 S.C.R.

Service in accordance with rule 7 of those rules
A
who officiated continuously in a senior post from
a date earlier than the date of commencement of
such officiation by the former;

Provided that the year of allotment of an officer appointed
B .to the Service in accordance with rule 9 of the Recruitment
Rules who started officiating continuously in a senior post
from a date earlier than the date on which any of the offic-
ers recruited to the Service, in accordance with rule 7 of
those Rules, so started officiating shall be determined ad
h.oc by the Central Government in consultation with the
State Government concerned.
c
Provided further that an officer appointed to the Service
after the commencement of these Rules shall be deemed to
have officiated continuously in senior post prior to the date
of the inclusion of his name in the Select List prepared in
D accordance with the requirements of the Indian Police
Service (Appointment by Promotion) Regulation framed
under rule 9 of the Recruitment Rules, if the period of such
officiation prior to that date if approved by the Central
Government in consultation with the Commission.

E Explanation 1. An officer shall be deemed to have officia-
ted continuously in a senior post from a certain date if
during the period from that date to the date of his confir-
mation in the senior grade he continues to hold without any
break or reversion a senior post otherwise than as a purely
temporary to local arrangement.
F
Explanation 2. An officer shall be treated as having
officiating in a senior post during any period in respect of
which the State Government concerned certifies that he
would have so officiated but for his absence on leave or
appointment to any special post or any other exceptional
G circumstances."

On behalf of the appellant before us, reliance was placed on the
decision of this Court in Arun Ranjan Mukherjee v. Union of India &
Ors., l-1971] Suppl. S.C.R. 574-A.I.R. 1971 S.C. 18l4.

H It may be mentioned that in 1954 the Central Government, in
\
~· exercise of the powers vested in it by section 3 of the All India Services
M. SINGH v. M.L. BHANOT [MUKHARJI, J.] 857

A
Act, 1951 (hereinafter called the 'said Act') framed certain rules. The
Indian Service (Recruitment) Rules (hereinafter called the 'Recruit-
ment Rules'), the Indian Police Service (Cadre) Rules (hereinafter
referred to as the 'Cadre') and the Indian Police Service (Regulation
of Seniority) Rules (hereinafter referred to as the 'Seniority Rules').
The Indian Police Service (Fixation of Cadre Strength) Regulations', B
1955 (hereinafter referred to as the 'Cadre Regulations') were also
framed for determining the strength and composition. It is not neces-
sary to refer to the various rules to which the Division Bench in the
impugned judgment has made exhaustive reference. It is indisputable
that Shri Singh, the appellant herein, was holding a substantive posi-
tion in the U.P. State Police Service until he was taken over in the
joint Police Service of Delhi and Himachal Pradesh in February, 1963,
c
with effect from 27th November, 1962. He was brought on the select
list of officers to be promoted to LP.S. cadre of the Union Territories
ofHimachal Pradesh and Delhi on 14th May, 1963. Prior to that, he
had been continuously officiating in a senior post since 6th December,
1961. He claimed that he should be given the benefit of that period. D
This was rejected by the learned single judge and this rejection was
upheld by the Division Bench of the High Court. He was on deputa-
tion in Delhi-Himachal Pradesh State Police Service. The question is
what is the correct position.

The first representation that the appellant made for fixing the E
year of allotment to be given the benefit of continuous officiation on a
senior post from 6th December, 1961, to 13th May, 1963 was rejected
by an order dated 23rd April, 1970. The said order of rejection is
Annexure R. 4. It stated that in accordance with the orders contained
--l_. in Letter No. 1/2/62 Delhi IDH(S) dated 23.8.1963, of the Home
· ·Ministry, all cadre posts held by non-cadre officers not on the Select F
List were deemed to have been kept in abeyance with effect from 27th
September, 1961 onwards; and according to the Seniority Rules, the
service rendered by an officer prior to his inclusion in the Select List
could not be counted for seniority unless approved by the Central
Government in consultation with the Union Public Service Commis-
sion under the Second proviso to rule 3(3)(b) of the Seniority Rules. G
~ The requisite approval, it was stated, was not there.

In the second representation made by the appellant, the Division
Bench noted the fact that Shri Singh had noted in Madan Gopal Singh
v. Union of India, [1969] S.L.R. 576 the Division Bench of Delhi High
Court had quashed the aforesaid letter of the Home Ministry. A H
858 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [19881 3 S.C.R.

A perusal of the order dated 21st June, 1973 made by the Central Gov-
ernment showed that the representation was accepted but not on the
ground urged by him. The reason why the second representation was
accepted by the Central Government was that in November, 1972, the
Union Public Service Commission had approved of the officiation of
Shri Singh in the I.P.S. cadre post during the period 6th December,
B 1961 to 13th May, 1963 under the second proviso to rule 3(3)(b) of the "(
Seniority Rules, "as they stood in May, 1963". Accordingly, Shri
Singh was allowed the year of 1956 and placed above Shri Bhanot.

Old rule 3(3)(b) of the Seniority Rules applicable in this case has '-
been set out hereinbefore. It was urged before the Division Bench that
C nowhere rule 3(3)(b) and the second proviso thereto in particular
excludes the officiating period of deputation. In this connection
reliance was placed on the decision of the Division Bench in the case of
Arun Ranjan Mukherjee v. Union of India and others (supra) .. In
asmuch as good deal of reliance was placed by the Division Bench as
well as by the appellant before us on the said decision. It may be
D mentioned that the appellant in that case joined the Indian Army as a
Commandant Officer in 1942. He became a Major in 1945. His
services were lent to the state of West Bengal and accordingly on 10th
January, 1949, he was posted as a Commandant of the Special Armed
Police Battalion, a post corresponding to a senior post in the I.P.S. ~
The said appellant with his consent was appointed to the West Bengal
E State· Police Service on 1st July, 1953. On 8th September, 1954, the
Indian Police Service (Recruitment) Rules, 1954, Indian Police
Service (Cadre) Rules, 1954 and the Indian Police (Regulation of
Seniority) Rules, 1954 were framed by the Government of India under
section 3 of the All India Services Act 61 of 1951. On 6th June, 1955,
the Indian Police Service (Appointment by Promotion) Regulations,_)-
F 1955 were also issued under which 25% of the senior posts were allot-
ted to the Indian Police Service cadre in each State. The appointment
of the appellant was outside the quota. On 31st July, 1958, the appel-
lant was appointed on probation in the State cadre of West Bengal. In
December, 1959 he was substantively appointed to a senior post in the
Indian Police Service and confirmed thereon with effect from 21st
G July, 1958. In December, 1958, the Ministry of Home Affairs con-
veyed to the Government of West Bengal its decision to fix the pay of >._
the appellant in the senior scale of the Indian Police Service notionally
from 10th January, 1949, the date from which he held an Indian Police
Service Cadre post continuously. On 19th January, 1960, the Indian
Police Service (Seniority of Special Recruits) Regulations 1960 were
H framed pursuant to rule 5-A of the Seniority Rules on 11th October,
M. SINGH v. M.L. BHANOT [MUKHARJI, J.] 859

1960, the Gov~rnment of India in consultation with the Union Public
A
Service Commission decided to allot to the appellant the year 1948.
The year of allotment was subsequently changed to 1947 on the basis
that the officiation of the appellant as well as that of the junior most
direct recruit, in a senior scale did not start before 19th May, 195 I.
The appellant filed a writ· petition under Article 226 of the Constitu-
)- tion. The learned single judge, allowing the petition, held that the date B
from which the appellan.t continuously officiated was 10th January,
1949 and that accordingly the year 1943 allotted to D the Junior-most
direct recruit, should also be allotted to the appellant. The learned
Single Judge also held that the first and second proviso to rule 3(3)(b)
of the Seniority Rules were not applicable to the appellant. The Divi-
sion Bench in appeal agreed with the learned single judge, that the
date of continuous offieiation of the appellant was 10th January, 1949. c
But the High Court thought that the year 1947 allotted to the appellant
on the basis of his officiation from 19th May, 1951 could not be
sustained because the latter date had been held by this Court to be
irrelevant in the case of D.R. Nim, I.P.S. v. Union of India, [1967] 2
SCR 325. Non-the-less the year of allotment 1948 assigned to the D
appellant in the order of 11th October, 1960 was sustained because it
was on an ad hoc basis. Against the High Court's order the appellant
appealed to this Court. He urged under the main clause of rule 3(3)(b)
f of the Seniority Rules the year 1943 should be allotted to him as the
said year had been allotted to D the junior most direct recruit and that
the first proviso to rule 3(3)(b) did not apply to him as it applied only E
to those in the joint cadre; and that this Court should deduct the 'P'
factor from the date of officiation which as held by the High Court was
• 10th January, 1949 and allot to him the year 1943 as the year of allot-
ment. This Court dismissed the appeal and held that D was an Indian
--{_ Police Officer recruited in 1945. He became a member of the Indian
,- Police Service under sub-rule(l) of rule 3 of the ,Indian Police Service F
(Recruitment) Rules, 1954 on the date when the said Rules came into
force in 1954, and was not an officer recruited to the service in accord-
ance with rule 7 of those Rules. The year of allotment assigned to D
was not therefore available to the appellant under the main part of rule
3(3)(b).
G
I This Court further held that the first proviso to rule 3 nowhere
J(
' referred or even remotely indicated that it was only applicable to the
persons in the joint cadre. In fact rule 2(1) of the Seniority Rules and
the words "State cadre" and Hjoint cadre" had been defined as having
the meaning respectively assigned to them in the Indian Police Service
(Cadre) Rules, -1954. By reference to rule 7 of the Cadre Rule it is H
860 SUPREME COURT REPORTS 11988] 3 S.C.R.

A apparent that what g to be determined is the authority which is to
appoint, to the respective cadres i.e. in the case of State Cadre it is the
State Government and in the case of Joint Cadre it is the State Gov-
ernment concerned. The first proviso did not refer to any appointment
to any cadre it only dealt with Regulation of Seniority and the refer-
ence to State Government concerned is for the purpose of fixing the
B date of officiation ad hoc in consultation with the Central Govern- '{
ment. When there are several State Governments the consultation by
the Central Government must necessarily be with the State Govern-
ment concerned in relation to the officer who was appointed to the
cadre of that State. Whether the first proviso applied or the second
proviso applied, it was the Central Government that had to determine
ad hoc, the year of allotment after approving the period of officiation
c in consultation with the Public Service Commission. This Court
further held that in view of the judgment in Nim's case (supra) the
order assigning 1947 as the year of allotment to the appellant on the
basis of an arbitrary date of officiation namely 19th May, 1951 was bad
and had been quite properly struck down by the High Court. The High
D Court however had no power to direct the year 1948 to be fixed as the
year of allotment for the determination of the seniority of the appel-
lant on the basis that that was fixed on an ad hoc basis in an earlier
occasion by the Government of India. Once the Government of India
had on a memorial presented by the Appellant decided finally in ,j_
supersession of its previous decision that his year of allotment was
E 1947, the previous decision fixed on ad hoc basis could not be revived.
It was for the Government of India in consultation with the Commis-
sioner to determine ad hoc the year of allotment to be assigned to the •
appellant in relation to the date of his continuous officiation. This
Court would not trespass upon the jurisdiction of the Government of
India to determine ad hoc in consultation with the Commission on a , ) ' ·
F consideration of the relevant materials, the date of the appellant's
continuous officiation and assign him a year of allotment. This Court
reiterated that it was for the Central Government to examine year of
allotment after approving the period of officiation in consultation with
the Union Public Service Commission.

G It may be relevant to mention that this Court noted the observa-
tions of the Division Bench judgment of the Calcutta High Court _l
which was under appeal in that case and noted that there was nothing
in clause (b) of the said Rules which showed that while officiating in a
"senior post", the officer concerned must be an officer belonging sub-
stantially to the State Police Service in question and could not be an officer
H on deputation from some other service. It was urged before the Divi-
M. SINGH v. M.L. BHANOT [MUKHARJI, J.[ 861
)·
«
\ sion Bench that this Court had approved the view of the Calcutta High
A
Court that benefit of the period of deputation should be given to Shri
Mukherjee. The Division Bench was unable to accept the position.
The Division Bench was of the view that this Court had reiterated that
it was relevant material which had to be taken into consideration by
the Government of India but it was for Government to determine in
consultation with the Union Public Service Commission the date of a B
' )- person's continuous officiation and assign to him a year of allotment
and the High Court as such had no such power.
• The Division Bench was of the view that the learned single judge

J
of the High Court was right that this Court had not given any decision
whether the period of deputation of Shri Mukherjee in th~t case before
his absorption could be taken into account in assigning the year of
c
allotment to him. The learned single judge in Chambers as noted by
the Division Bench further found support to this view with reference to
relevant noting in the file of Shri Mukherjee which was produced
before the learned single judge. Rule 3(3)(b) of the Seniority Rules
aiid the provisos thereto should not be read in isolation. This rule is in D
the setting of other rules. The Cadre rules read with Indian Police
Service (Fixation of Cadre Strength) Regulations of 1955 fixed the

,. strength of the Indian Police cadre of the Union Territories a particu-
Jar figure. Ont of them, not more than 25% officers eligible for recruit-
ment to the I.P.S. cadre had to be the substantive members of the
State (U.T.) Police Service at that time. The scheme as it stood, fixed E
the strength of the I .P .S. cadre State-wise. Recruitment by promotion
thereto could only be from the substantive members of the Police
Service of that particular State. So long as Shri Singh remained as a
substantive member of the U.P. State Police Se1'Vice, he could not
possibly.be promoted to the joint I.P.S. cadre of the Union Territories
""-- '
of Delhi and Himachal Pradesh. He became eligible to his promotion
to the Union Territory I.P.S. Cadre only after he had been absorbed in
F

the Delhi Himachal Pradesh State Police Service. Proviso (1) to Rule
3(3)(b) of the Recruitment Rules gave a clear indication that for
determining the year of allotment ad hoc the Central Government
consulted the State Government concerned. In Explanation (2) again,
there was reference to a certificate by the State Government con- G
cerned that an officer would have officiated in a senior post but for his
~ absence on leave or appointment to any special post. It is apparent
therefore that the State Government is the one, of the Police Service
of which the Officer concerned is a substantive member. In this case
as found by the Division Bench, Shri Singh had not chosen to-be
absorbed in the Delhi Himachal Pradesh State Police Service and he H
862 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1988] 3 S.C.R.

A
had gone back to his parent State of U.P. In case Shri Singh had not .
chosen to be absorbed in the Delhi Himachal Pradesh State Police
Service and he had gone back to his parent State of U .P., then accord-
ing to Explanation (2) the U.P. State Government might have issued
the certificate to facilitate his promotion to the I.P.S. cadre of the U.P.
State. The Promotion Regulation of 1955 laid down.the determination
B of the eligibility of a substantive member of the State Police Service.
Thereafter, the names of the eligible officers were brought on the
Select List, which were to be approved by the commission. Appoint-
ments by promotion to the I.P.S. cadre are made from the Select List.
In the event of promotion, but for second proviso the benefit of con-
tinuous officiation on a senior post for fixing his year of allotment is
given to an officer from the date after his being nominated on the
C Select List. In Explanation (1) of rule 3(3), there is no mention that
deputationist before his absorption in the State Police Service can get
the benefit of such officiation. That is the position. Therefore before
his absorption, it is not possible to accept the position that Shri Singh
was entitled to the benefit of his officiation. The Division Bench so
D held. We are of the opinion that the Division Bench was right on this
aspect of the matter. It may be mentioned that Seniority Rules 1954
including rule 3(3)(b) quoted above were amended with effect from
22nd April, 1967.
I
Before the amendment, the appellant Shri Singh, had been con-
E firmed in the Union Territory cadre of Indian Police Service with
effect from 14th May, 1964 and had been allotted 1958 as the year. The
first representation was made by him in August, 1969 and the second
in June, 1970. The second proviso to old seniority rule 3(3)(b) referred •
to hereinbefore had laid down that where a promotee had officiated
continuously in a senior post prior to the date of inclusion of his name
F in the Select List prepared in accordance with the Promotion Regula-
tions, he could get the benefit of such officiation if approved by the
Central Government in consultation with the Commission. The
Seniority Rules as amended in 1967, howefor, did not provide for such
approval. Hence, after the amendment of the Seniority Rules, the
Central Government was not empowered to grant the approval as
G aforesaid in favour of Shri Singh in November, 1972. This was the
submission on behalf of the respondent, Shri Bhanot. The argument
was not accepted by the Division Bench because the question of allot-
ment of Shri Singh in accordance with the Seniority Rules ripened
before the amendment of 1967. There is no rule vitiating the operation
of the old seniority rules. As a matter of fact, the party had proceeded
H all along in this case on the basis that the old seniority rules applied.
M. SINGH v.. M.L. BHANOT IMUKHARJI, J.J 863

In Government of India and Anr. v. C.A. Balakrishnan and Ors.,
A
[1975] 1SLR31 this question was considered. In that case the promo-
tion in question was made in November, 1957. The change in the
relevant rules of promotion came in September, 1960. This Court
affirmed the decision of the High Court and held that in November,
1957 the post in question was a selection post and that the basis of
seniority-cum-fitness introduced by the amendment rules in Septem- B
ber, 1960 was not applicable. The question, therefore, was held to be
governed by the old rules. The Division Bench held that the second
representation made by Shri Singh was barred .
•

J. As mentioned hereinbefore, in support of the appeal, the appel-
lant submitted that the Division Bench was in error in ·not following the
ratio of the decision in the case of Arun Ranjan Mukherjee (supra). We C
are unable to accept this submission. Arun Ranjan Mukherjee's case
proceeded on the basis of the decision of this Court in the case of D.R.
Nim, I.P.S. v. Union of India (supra). There under rule 3 of the Indian
Police Service (Regulation of Seniority) Rules, 1954 issued under sec-
tion 3(1) of the All India Services Act, 1951, the mode of determining D
the seniority of officers of the Indian Police Service was laid down. It
was provided that the officers were divided into categories: namely, (1)
those in the Service at the commencement of the Rules, and (2) those ·
appointed to the Service after the commencement of the Rules. The
\ second category was divided into two sub-categorLs: namely, (a) offic-
1' ers appointed as a result of a competitive examination, and (b) officers
appointed by promotion in accordance with rule 9 of the Recruitment E
Rules. The year of allotment of an officer which determined his senior-
ity, was determined according to rule 3(3)(a) or (b) of the present
rules. But if an officer started officiating continuously in a senior post
from a date earlier than the date on which any of the officers was
. .· recruited to the Service by competition, the year of allotment had to
"""-.- be determined ad hoc by the Central Government under proviso (1) to F
rule 3(3)(b) and under proviso (2) to rule 3(3)(b ), the period of officia-
tion before the date of inclusion of the name of an officer in the Select
List prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Indian Police
Service (Appointment by Promotion) Regulations would be counted
only if such period was approved by the Central Government in con-
sultation with the Public Service Commission. G

~ PoliceInfromthatJune,
case the appellant was officiating as Superintendent of
1957 that is from a date earlier than the date of any
officer recruited ·by competition, and was appointed to the Indian ·
Police Service by promotion in 1955 after the commencement of the
Seniority Rules. His name was included in the Select List in 1956. The H
864 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1988] 3 S.C.R.

A
government passed an order on 25th August, 1955, that officers pro-
moted to the Indian Police Service should be allowed the benefit of their
continuous officiation with effect only from 19th May, 1951. The
appellant challenged the order by a petition under Article 226 before
'
the High Court because the period of his officiation from June, 1947 to
May, 1951 was excluded for the purpose of fixation of his seniority.
B The High Court dismissed the petition. This Court under appeal held --.(
that the impugned order dated 25th August, 1955 should be quashed
and the Central Government directed to fix the year of allotment and
seniority of the appellant according to the law. The date 19th May,
1951 in that case was an artificial and arbitrary date having nothing to

·~
do with the application of the first and second proviso to rule 3(3). It
has some relevance for the Indian Administrative Service, but why it
c should be applied to the Indian Police Service was not adequately
explained. Under the two provisos, this Court held, the Central Gov-
ernment had to determine ad hoc the year of allotment after approving
or not approving the period of officiation in consultation with the
Public Service Commission taking into consideration all the relevant
D facts. The Central Government cannot pick out a date and say that a
period prior to that date would not be deemed to be approved by the
Central Government within the second proviso. In view of the fact that
he was officiating for eight years, that he was never reverted and that
he was appointed to the post when vacancies fell, it could not be held
that the appellant's continuous officiation a mere temporary or lofal or -"\
E stop-gap arrangement, within the meaning of Explanation ( 1) to rule
3(3)(b ).

In the instant case, the Central Government had not fixed the
date of appellant's absorption in the Select List as 1958 out of the hat
so to say. It had relevance as it appears from the basis of the order of
F the Central Government. In this case, the appellant who was a ;-
deputationist before the absorption in the State Public Service could
not be entitled to get such officiation. In case Shri Singh had not
chosen to be absorbed in the Delhi Himachal Pradesh State Police
Service and he had gone back to his parent State of U .P., then accord-
ing to explanation (2), U.P. State Government might have issued the
G certificate to facilitate his promotion to the I.P.S. cadre of the U.P.
State. But so long as Shri Singh remained a substantive member of the
U.P. State Police Service, he could not possibly be permitted to join
I.P.S. cadre of the Union Territories of Delhi and Himachal Pradesh. In
accordance with the rules, he became eligible to his promotion to the
Union Territory I.P.S. cadre only after he had been absorbed in Delhi
.,
H Himachal Pradesh Police Service.
M. SINGH v. M.L. BHANOT [MUKHARJJ, J.I 865

Reading the rules with which we are concerned which state that
A
certain year should be assigned by the Government in consultation
with Public Service Commission must be interpreted in the light of the
well-established rule of construction that if the words of a statute are in
themselves precise and unambiguous no more is necessary than to
expound these words in their natural and ordinary sense, the words
themselves in such a case best declaring the intention of the legisla- B
ture. See in this conriection the observations of this Court in The
Collector of Customs, Baroda v. Digvijaysinhji Spinning & Weaving
. Mills Ltd., [1962) 1SCR896 at 899.

This Court in Ram Prakash Khanna and others etc. v. S.A.F.
Abbas and others etc., AIR 1972 SC 2350 dealing with the aforesaid
rule proviso 2, observed that under the second proviso to Rule 3(3)(b) c
a· promotee could obtain the advantage of officiation continuously in a
senior post prior to the inclusion of the name in the Select List if the
period of such officiation is approved by the Central Government in
consultation with the Union. Public Service Commission. This Court
reiterated that approval as contemplated in Rule 3(3)(b) is a specific D
approval and is directed to the particufar maiter mentioned therein as
to. whether there was approval of the period of officiation prior to the
inclusion in the names in the select list. The officiatiOn in a senior post
is one of the indispensable ingredients in the .. application of rule
3(3)(b ). But it must be borne in miild that this was not a sine qua non.
This Court found on the materials in the appeal before this Courdn E
that case that it could not be held that the Central Government gave
any approval in consultation with the Union Public Service Com.nis·
sion to have'the benefit of the ·period claimed by the appellant. In the
instant ·case, before the absorption of the appellant in the Himachal
Pradesh-Delhi, I.P.S. Cadre, his officiation had not·been taken by the
Central Government into consideration. We are uriable to say that the F
Central Government had not acted properly:

This appeal is Iiot concerned with the assignment of year 1958 to
Shri Singh but rule 16 clause (l)(iii) of the Service Rules provides for
certain penalties a.nd one of the ·penalties, inter alia, cis the effect of
superseding him in promotion to -a Selection Post and as such is appeaic G
able. We are of the opinion that the High Court was right tha.t appeal
does not necessarily lie only against the order imposing penalfy'and is
also open to entertain appeal when the service rule was interpreted to.
the" disadvantage of member of the service but rule 17 bars the. filing of
appeal after the expiry of 45 days. Proviso" to the said rule, however,
gives discretion to the appellate authority to condone the delay if H
866 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1988] 3 S.C.R.
~.
sufficient cause is shown. Rule 24 of All India Services (Discipline and
A
Appeal) Rules, 1969 provides for review within different periods.
Under that rule since Shri Singh could have filed an application for
review within one year, in this case remedy of review by Shri Singh had
also become barred when the second order was passed. Rule 25 regu-
!ates memorials. It reads as follows:
B ~
"A member of the Service shall be entitled to submit a
memorial to the President against any order of the Central
Government or the State Government by which he is aggri- •
eved within a period of three years from the date of the
passing of such order.

c nature.It Failure
appears that there is provision for appeal in the order of this
to prefer an appeal or apply for review was no bar to
the submission of memorials to the President. In December, 1963 in
this case the year of allotment was assigned to Shri Singh. Shri Singh
l
.
made the first representation in August, 1969, after the period of
limitation had expired.
D
It was contended, however, on behalf of the appellant relying on
the Full Bench decision of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in
Sunder Lal and others v. The State of Punjab, [1970] SLR 59 that in a
case of bona fide mistake, there was always the powefto rectify. It was
emphasised that every administrative authority has an inherent right to ~.
rectify its own mistakes. So far as fixing the year 1957 was ~oncerned,
E
we are unable to accept the submission. It is doubtful that inherent
power can be invoked, if there is no reason for refixing the appellant's
year of 1957. If belated claims are allowed arbitrarily, an atmosphere
of uncertainty would prevail. There should be no sense of uncertainty
among public service. Furthermore it is clear that if the fixation of year
1958 allotment is a mistake, the first representation was rejected with .,J
F the order dated 23rd April, 1970 which has been set out in extenso in
the judgment under appeal. There the Government's order reiterates
that in accordance with the order contained in the Home Ministry's·
letter to which reference is made, all cadre posts held by non-cadre
officers not on the Select List were deemed to have been kept in
abeyance with effect from 27th. September, 1961 on~ards. As such
G Shri Singh. could not ha.ve claimed that he was officiating in the cadre
post prior to coming on.the Select List. In those circumstances, Shri
Singh could not be deemed to have officiated in cadre post during the
period 6th December, 1961 to 14th May, 1963 ..The order further
"'
reiterated that according to the seniority rules, the service rendered by
an officer prior to inclusion in the Select List could not be counted for
H
seniority unless approved by the Central Governm<int in consultation
M. SINGH v. M.L. BHANOT (MUKHARJI, J.) 867

with the Union Public Service Commission. It is clear that the Central
A
Government was of the view that decision taken by it in 1963, fixing
the said year of allotment was correct. Good and cogent reasons were
given for it. It is true that the Home Ministry's letter referred to in
annexure R-4 has been quashed by the Delhi High Court but the same
has no bearing on the correctness of the decision taken by the Central
Government in 1963, because at the relevant time the letter was there B
and the Central Government was bound to act in accordance thereto.
The contention of the appellant that there was no period of limitation
for the grant of the approval is not relevant. It is therefore clear that
there was no scope of the acceptance of second representation. In the
said order there is no mention of any mistake.·
When the first order was made, it may be that it was not neces- c
sary to give any notice to Shri Bhanot but when the second order was
made it affected adversely Siiri Bhanot because he in the meantime
having been absorbed in the l.P.S. in 1957. In our opinion it is not that
the constitutionality of any provision was challenged as was the case in
A. Janardhana v. Union of India and Others, (1983] 2 SCR 936 at 967
and in General Manager, South Central Railway Secundrabad and Anr. D
etc~ v. A. V.R. Siddhanti and Ors., etc., (1974] 3 SCR 2fJ7, it was held
that those would be affected by the grant of the year of seniority need
not join as party. But the position here is different. Here Shri Bhanot
would be adversely affected.and his senioritY would be affected and
here the change ·was sought from the Goveinment reversing the previ-
ous dedsion and in the meantime Shri Bhanot has acquired a year of E
allotment. Therefore, in our opinion it should have'been done upon
notice to Shri Bhanot. ·1n any case, Shri Bhanot has been heard. Our
attention was drawn to· certain observations of Administrative Law
Cases & Materials, second edition by Peter Brett and Peter W. Hogg
on the nature of appeal arid in the_ light of the view we have taken; it is
not necessary io refer to the said observations. . F

In the aforesaid view of the matter we are of the opinion that the
High Court was right in dismissing the writ petition of the appellant
herein. We, however, having regard to the facts set out hereinbefore,
direct the Central Government that the salary. scale of the appellant
should be refixed taking into consideration the appellant's service in G
J.
U.P. and Himachal Pradesh cadre in the senior pbsition as.a depu-
" tatfonist. ·
'
". The appeals are, therefore, dismissed with the aforesaid direc-
tSi.oLn.s tit_h•o··.u___t any or.d. er. a. . ·.·.s t.o c.os.ts. _.. . _,
) · . App'eals dismissed. ,H

I