Holding

An employee transferred between departments retains continuous service for the purpose of selection grade and supertime scale, and the High Court’s decision to grant those benefits was correct.

Summary

Maqbool Ahmad was selected as an Assistant Engineer in 1970 and initially served in the Irrigation Department before being transferred to the Public Works Department (PWD) in 1977 without a break in service. He claimed entitlement to selection grade (after 16 years) and supertime scale (after 18 years) based on a 1968 Government Order that treats service in different departments as continuous. The State argued that the relevant dates should be calculated from his 1977 entry into PWD, contending he was promoted before completing 18 years and thus ineligible for supertime scale. The High Court held that the common selection and continuous service made the department of posting immaterial, granting him the benefits, and the Supreme Court affirmed this reasoning, emphasizing the equitable policy to prevent stagnation due to lack of vacancies. Consequently, the appeal was dismissed, confirming Ahmad’s entitlement to selection grade and supertime scale.

Issues considered

Whether service rendered in a different department after a transfer counts towards the period required for selection grade and supertime scale under the 1968 Government Order.
Whether the date of appointment in the Public Works Department is the appropriate reference point for calculating eligibility for selection grade and supertime scale.
Whether the High Court erred in granting the benefits, thereby violating principles of equality and fairness.

Subjects

service lawselection gradesupertime scalecommon selectiondepartmental transfercontinuous serviceequitable principlegovernment order

Judgment

~
.
STATE OF U.P. AND ORS. A
v.
MAQBOOL AHMAD

AUGUST 25, 2006

[C.K. THAKKER AND MARKANDEY KATJU, JJ.) B

Service Law:

Selection grade and supertime scale-Granting of-Assistant Engineer
selected through common selection-Appointed in Irrigation Department- c
Later joined Public Works Department-Claim for selection grade and
supertime scale-Reji1sal on the ground that he did not put in required years
of service from the date he joined PWD-Held, officer having been selected
through a common selection it would be immaterial whether he continues to
work in cadre of Ass/I. Engineer either in Irrigation Department or in P WD- D
There 1rns no reason to deprive him of the benefits to which he was otherwise
entitled-UP. Government Order dated 15.10.1968.

Respondent was selected as an Assistant Engineer through a common
selection held by the UPPSC in the year 1970. He opted for Irrigation
Department. In the year 1977, with the approval of the UPPSC, he joined E
the Public Works Department. He applied to the authorities stating that
since he was not promoted as Executive Engineer, as per policy of the
Government, he was entitled to selection grade from the year 1986 after
completion of 16 years and supertime scale from 1988 after completion
of 18 years of regular service. He relied on the U.P. Government Order
dated 15.10.1968. His claim was rejected on the ground that he joined the F
P.W.D. in the year 1977 and since he got promotion to the post of Executive
Engineer in the year 1995 i.e. before completion of 18 years from the year
,•
1977, he was not entitled to supertime scale. The respondent filed a writ
petition before the High Court and contended that two officers who were
selected after him and were not initially allocated to P.W.D. but were sent G
to the said Department at a subsequent stage, were held entitled to such
benefit. The writ petition was allowed and the authorities were directed
to give the respondent the benefit. Aggrieved, the State Government filed
the present appeal.

375 H
376 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2006] SUPP. 5 S.C.R.

A Dismissing the appeal, the Court

HELD: 1.1. The policy decision to grant selection grade and
supertime scale is based on equitable principle that if an employee does
not get promotion, not because of his fault, but because there were no
sufficient vacancies available, which resulted in his stagnation in the cadre
B to which iie was initially appointed, it would be reasonable that he should
not suffer and is allowed certain additional benefits. Therefore, the High
Court was right in holding that it would be totally immaterial whether
the employee continues to work in the cadre of Assistant Engineer either
in Irrigation Department or in Public Works Department. The fact
C remains that he could not be promoted because of non availability of
promotional avenues and hence there was no reason to deprive him of
selection grade or supertime scale to which he was otherwise entitled.
1379-F-H; 380-A-BI

1.2. There is an additional factor also in favour of the respondent.
D It is not in dispute that along with the respondent, several other persons
were also selected and appointed as Assistant Engineers. Some of them
preferred Public Works Department, but were later transferred to
Irrigation Department. It was stated by the respondent that those persons
were junior to him and yet they were granted selection grade and
E supertime scale in the Irrigation Department though they were initially
appointed in the Public Works Department. Therefore, on that
consideration also, the High Court was right and justified in allowing the
claim of the respondent and in granting benefits in his favour. (380-C-E]

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 3666 of2006.
F From the Final Order dated 22.4.2004 of the High Court of Judicature
at Allahabad, Lucknow Bench, Lucknow in Writ Petition No. 8268 (S/B) of
1993.

Arvind Verma, Rajeev Dubey and Kamlendra Mishra (for Jatinder
G Kumar Bhatia) for the Appellants.
Shail Kumar Dwivedi and G.V. Rao for the Respondent.

The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

C.K. THAKKER, J. Delay condoned.
H
STATE OF U.P. v. MAQBOOL AHMAD [C.K. Tl-IAKKER, .I.] 377
... Leave granted. A
This appeal is filed against an order dated April 22, 2004 passed by the
High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, Lucknow Bench in Writ Petition No.
8268 of 1993.

The facts in nutshell may now be stated. B
Pursuant to common selection held by the Uttar Pradesh Public Service
Commission ("U.P.P.S.C." for short) in 1970, several persons were selected
for appointment to the post of Assistant Engineer in various departments. The
respondent herein opted for Irrigation Department whereas some selectees
preferred to go to other departments including Public Works Department c
(PWD). The respondent joined the Irrigation Department on September 30,
1970. He initially worked at Lucknow and thereafter at Jaunpur. He
continuously remained in Irrigation Department upto 1977. On November 4,
1977, with the approval of U.P.P.S.C., he was relieved from the Irrigation
Department and joined Public Works Department without any break in service.
D
It was the case of the respondent that since he was appointed in 1970 as
Assistant Engineer and was not promoted as Executive Engineer, as per the
policy of the Government, he was entitled to selection grade after completion
of 16 years of service and suppertime scale after completion of 18 years of
service. The respondent was, therefore, entitled to selection grade from 1986
and suppertime scale from 1988. He also stated that the Government of U.P . E
. had issued Government Order (GO), dated October 15, 1968, wherein it was
stated that where employees working in one department have been allocated
to other department, the services rendered by them earlier would be counted
for fixation of pay and they will be treated in continuous service of the
Government. The respondent-workman, therefore, applied to the authorities
F
to grant him selection grade and suppertime scale to which, according to him,
he was entitled as he could not be promoted. The prayer of the respondent
was, however, rejected on the ground that since he came by way of transfer
• in PWD in the year 1977, his case could be considered for suppertime scale
provided he was not promoted within a period of 18 years from that date, i.e.
from December, 1977. Since, the respondent was promoted as Executive G

- Engineer in January, 1995, that is, before completion of 18 years from
December, 1977, he was not entitled to suppertime scale. His claim was,
therefore, negatived.

Being aggrieved by the said action, the respondent approached the
High Court by filing a petition. Before the High Court, it was contended by H
378 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (2006] SUPP. 5 S.C.R.
a
A the respondent herein that selection by the Uttar Pradesh Pubic Service
Commission was common for Assistant Engineers in all Departments of the
Government. After the common selection was held, some persons were
allocated to Irrigation Department and some persons were sent to PWD. The
respondent also asserted in his petition that several Assistant Engineers who
were selected after him and had not been allocated to Public Works Department
B initially but were sent at a subsequent stage were held entitled to such benefit.
In the writ petition itself, the respondent herein (petitioner before High Court)
had given two names of such officers. He stated that one Shiv Kumar Shukla
was appointed as Assistant Engineer in Government Polytechnic and thereafter
was sent to Public Works Department and yet he was held entitled to selection
C grade as well as suppertime scale. Likewise, one R.K. Chaudhary was initially
appointed as Assistant Engineer in Irrigation Department in I973 and was
subsequently allocated to Public Works Department and yet he had been
granted the benefit of selection grade as also suppertime scale but the similar
benefit was not allowed to the petitioner. The action was thus arbitrary,
discriminatory and violative of Articles 14, 16, 23 and 39(d) of the
D Constitution.
Though counter affidavit was filed by the respondent State in the High
Court and averments made in the writ petition .were denied, there is no
whisper regarding the two cases referred to by the petitioner in the petition.
E In affidavit-in-rejoinder, the petitioner further stated that several persons
were granted suppertime scale on completion of I8 years of service from the
date of joining in the Irrigation Department considering their services rendered
in other departments including Public Works Department and by adding that
period. The welfare State could not be permitted to adopt double standard for
F its employees. The petitioner was, therefore, entitled to the similar benefits.
The High Court on the basis of the pleadings of the parties and
considering the facts of the case, observed that common selection was held
by Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission for Assistant Engineers. After •
they were selected by PSC, options were exercised by the employees either
G to go to Irrigation Department or to Public Works Department and the persons
junior to the respondent herein (petitioner before the High Court) opted for
PWD. They thereafter went to Irrigation Department and yet were held entitled
to get selection grade or suppertime scale since there was stagnation for I6
-
or I 8 years and could not be promoted. There was, therefore, no reason to
H deprive the respondent herein of similar benefit to which others were held
STATEOFU.P. v. MAQBOOLAHMAD [C.K. THAKKER. J.] 379
entitled and the benefit could not be denied to similarly situated employee. A
Accordingly, the petition was allowed and the authorities were directed to
grant benefit of selection grade to the respondent herein. Hence, the present
appeal.

We have heard the learned counsel for the parties.
B
The learned counsel for the State submitted that the relevant date for
the purpose of grant of selection grade and suppertime scale was the date of
appointment of an employee in the Public Works Department. Admittedly,
the respondent was appointed in PWD in 1977. He was, therefore, entitled to
selection grade after 16 years and suppertime scale after 18 years. But by the C
time he could claim suppertime scale, he was already promoted and hence,
the High Court committed an error of law in granting the benefit in his
favour and the decision deserves to be set aside.

The learned counsel for the respondent, on the other hand, supported
the order passed by the High Court contending that the High Court after D
considering the facts and circumstances as also grant of benefits in favour of
other employees had passed the order which requires no interference.

Having heard the learned counsel for the parties, we are of the view
that the High Court has not committed any error which deserves interference
by this Court. As stated by the High Court in the impugned judgment and is E
not disputed before us that selection was made by the U.P.P.S.C. It was
common selection for both the departments, namely, Irrigation Department
as well as Public Works Department. The respondent herein joined Irrigation
Department on September 30, 1970. Up to November 4, 1977,_ he continued
with the Irrigation Department and on approval ofU.P.P.S.C., he was shifted
to Public Works Department in November, 1977. There was no break of F
service and it remained continuous all throughout. In these circumstances, in
our opinion, the respondent was right in submitting before the High Court as
well as before us that there was no reason to deprive him of the selection
grade or suppertime scale as per the Government Order. Ultimately, the
policy decision is based on equitable principle that if an employee does not G
get promotion, not because of his fault, but because there were no sufficient
vacancies available which resulted in his stagnation in the cadre to which he
was initially appointed, it would be reasonable that he should not suffer and
is allowed certain additional benefits. In such cases, an empioyee is deprived
of promotion as the employer is unable to promote him due to limited posts/
vacancies in the higher cadre. To avoid stagnation, heart-burning, H
380 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (2006) SUPP. 5 S.C.R.

A demoralization of employees and to provide boosting, a policy decision has
been taken by the Government. Keeping in view, the said object, it was
decided by the State Government that if an employee has to remain in one
and the same cadre for 16 and 18 years, he would be granted selection grade
as also suppertime scale. In our opinion, therefore, the High Court was right
B in holding that it would be totally immaterial whether the employee continuous
to work in the cadre of Assistant Engineer either in Irrigation Department or
in Public Works Department. The fact remains that he could not be promoted
because of non availability of promotional avenue and hence there was no
reason to deprive him of selection grade or suppertime scale to which he was
otherwise entitled.
c But, there is an additional factor also in favour of the respondent. It is
not in dispute by and between the parties that along with respondent, several
other persons were also selected and appointed as Assistant Engineers. Some
of them preferred Public Works Department, but thereafter were transferred
to Irrigation Department. It was stated by the respondent that those persons
D were junior to him and yet they were granted selection grade and suppertime
scale in the Irrigation Department though they were initially appointed in the
Public Works Department. Names of certain persons were also placed on
record before the High Court by the respondent. The said fact had not been
disputed by the learned counsel for the appellant before the High Court or
E before this Court. In our opinion, therefore, on that consideration also, the
High Court was right and justified in allowing the claim of the respondent
and in granting benefits in his favour.

For the foregoing reasons, we see no ground to interfere with the order
passed by the High Court. The appeal deserves to be dismissed and is hereby
p dismissed with costs.

R.P. Appeal dismissed.