Central Administrative Tribunal - Chandigarh
Mangal Singh vs Garrison Engineer on 24 May, 2023
1- O.A. No. 1100/2022
CENTRAL ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL
CHANDIGARH BENCH
Original Application No.060/1100/2022
Chandigarh this the 24th May, 2023
CORAM: HON'BLE MR. SURESH KUMAR BATRA, MEMBER (J)
1. MES No.507776, Mangal Singh s/o Sh. Bholu Ram, aged 58
years MCM, FGM,
2. MES No. 507759, Roshan Lal s/o Sh. Nanak Ram, MCM, FGM,
3. MES No. 507762, Lal Chand s/o Sh. Shonku Ram, MCM, FGM,
4. T No. 162, Milap Chand s/o Sh. Hirda Ram, MCM, FGM,
5. MES No. 507757, Rajesh Kumar S/o Sh. Kishan Lal, MCM,
FGM,
6. MES No. 507770, Surinder Kumar s/o Sh. Rattan Chand, FGM-
HS-I,
7. MES No. 508308, Surjit Singh s/o Sh. Sayal Singh, FGM-HS-I,
8. MES No. 507870, Balwinder Kumar s/o Sh. Chatru Ram, FGM-
HS-I,
9. MES No. 507772, Lovleen Chand s/o Sh. Jia Lal, FGM-HS-I,
10. MES No. 507764, Ravinder Singh s/o Sh. Charan Singh, FGM-
HS-I,
11. MES No. 507760, Nirmal Singh s/o Sh. Fouja Singh, FGM HS-
I.
12. MES No. 508326, Sham Lal s/o Sh. Nanak Chand, FGM HS-I.
13. MES No. 373180, Pawan Kumar s/o Chint Ram, FGM HS-II,
14. MES No. 507733, Mohinder Lal s/o Sh. Banarsi Dass, FGM -
HS-II,
15. MES No. 508254, Tarsem Singh s/o Sh. Punjab Singh, FGM-
HS-II,
16. MES No. 508272, Naresh Kumar s/o Sh. Pritam Chand, FGM-
HS-II,
17. MES No. 509683, Sawaran Singh s/o Sh. Beli Ram, FGM, SK,
18. MES No. 507996, Parbhakar Singh s/o Sh. Bhiari Lal, FGM, SK,
19. MES No. 507735, Anil Kumar s/o Sh. Gopi Chand, FGM, SK,
2- O.A. No. 1100/2022
20. MES No. 510225, Avinash Kumar s/o Sh. Madan Mohan, FGM,
SK,
21. MES No. 377094, Rishi Dev s/o Sh. Hari Singh, FGM SK,
22. T No. 1833, Nirmal Kumar s/o Gopal Dass, Mate FGM,
23. T No. 100, Sulakhan Singh s/o Sh. Gobind Singh, Mate FGM,
24. MES No. 377112, Manoj s/o Sh. Tarsem Lal, Mate FGM,
25. MES No. 377101, Amit Rai s/o Sh. Ved Parkash, Mate FGM,
26. MES No. 507798, Tarsem Lal S/O Sh. Gian Chand, FGM-HS-II,
27. T No. 668, Naresh Kumar s/o Om Parkash ,Mate FGM,
28. A No. 1588567P, Sukhdev Singh s/o Sh. Lakha Singh, Mate
FGM,
29. MES No. 508006, Davinder Kumar s/o Sh. Ravi Kartar, Fitter
Pipe HS-I,
30. MES No.377102, Paramjot Singh s/o Sh. Darshan Singh, Fitter
Pipe, Skilled,
31. A No. 1582567Y, Sukhwinder Singh s/o Sh. Piara Singh, Mate
Fitter Pipe,
32. MES No. 375837, Rakesh Kumar s/o Sh. Madan Lal, FGM, SK,
33. A No. 1491733N, Gurmail Singh s/o Sh. Dalip Singh, Mate,
Mason,
34. A No. 1582439 F, Jagjit Singh s/o Sh. Kartar Singh, Mate
Carp,
35. MES No. 377105, Sunil Kumar s/o Sh. Mohinder Lal, Mate
FGM,
36. NC-20350, Balwinder Singh s/o Sh. Kartar Singh, Carp, SK.
37. MES No. 510224, Mohinder Singh s/o Sh. Hans Raj Singh,
FGM,
38. MES no. 509705, Anil Kumar s/o Ved Parkash, FGM,
39. MES No. 508292, Shamsher Singh s/o Parkash Singh, FGM,
40. MES No. 507484, Om Parkash s/o Sh. Ram Singh, FGM,
41. T No. 836, Rakesh Kumar s/o Sh. Milkhi Ram, FGM,
42. MES no. 503296, Vijay Kumar s/o Sh. Parkash Chand, Pipe
Fitter MCM,
43. MES No. 505961, Garu Ram s/o Sh. Charan Dass, Pipe Fitter,
44. MES No. 507485,Davinder Kumar s/o Sh. Munshi Ram, FGM,
3- O.A. No. 1100/2022
45. MES No. 505951, Babu Ram S/o Hans Raj, Pipe Fitter,
46. T No. 138, Kuldeep Singh s/o Kehar Singh, Mate Elect,
47. MES No. 507775, Satnam Singh s/o Pritam Singh, FGM, MCM,
48. MES No. 508291, Ashwani Kumar s/o Prannath Sharma, FGM,
SK
49. A No. 14399767, Sudhir Kumar s/o Sh. Harnam Singh, Mate
FGM,
50. MES No. 508271, Gurdial Singh s/o Shankar Singh, FGM,
51. MES No. 507773, Sukhdev Singh s/o Rattan Singh, FGM, MCM,
52. MES No. 508331, Shiv Charan s/o Prem Nath, Pipe Fitter,
MCM,
53. MES No.507869, Arvind Rai s/o Sh. Nek Ram , FGM-HS-I,
54. A No. 1492842M, Manmohan Singh s/o Sh. Sawarn Singh,
Mason, SK,
55. A No. 1487926W, Rupinder Singh s/o Lakha Singh, Mason, SK,
56. MES no. 508038, Sudesh Kumari w/o Sh. Som Prakash, FGM,
SK,
57. A No. 1582088, Satpal Singh s/o Sh. Parkash Singh, Mate,
Carp,
58. A. No. 1584468, Balbir Singh s/o Gurdev Singh, Mate Carp,
59. A No. 1492905K, Gurmeet Singh s/o Sh. Darshan Singh,
Mason, SK,
60. MES No. 375755, Anju Bala w/o Late Sh. Sudesh Kumar, FGM,
SK,
61. MES No. 507794, Tarsem Lal s/o Sh. Rakha Ram, Carp, SK,
62. A No. 1588348, Harjit Singh s/o Sh. Charan Singh, Vech Mech,
SK,
63. MES No. 507730, Rakesh Kumar s/o Late Sh Sukhdev Rai,
MCM, FGM,
64. MES No. 506684, Sham Lal s/o Sh. Ram, Chand, Elect, HS-II,
65. MES No. 376562, Gaurav Dogra s/o Sh. Rakesh Kumar, Refg.
Mech (SK),
66. MES No. 375095, Rakesh Kumar s/o Sh. Harish Chander, Carp
SK,
67. MES No. 509471, Ashok Kumar s/o Sh. Desh Raj, FGM, SK,
4- O.A. No. 1100/2022
68. A No. 15561432A Sh. Amrik Singh s/o Sh. Jagroop Singh,
Vech Mech (SK),
69. MES No. 507734, Pawan Kumar s/o Dev Raj, Elect HS-II,
70. T No. 452, Binder Singh s/o Dharam Singh, FGM, SK,
71. MES No. 508303, Rajesh Kumar s/o Basant Singh, Elect,MCM,
72. MES No. 506264, Elect, Tej Ram s/o Saran Dass, Elect HS-II,
73. T No. 613, Sanjay Kumar s/o Gorkhi Ram, Elect, SK,
74. MES No. 377096, Vinod Kumar s/o Sh. Bikram Chand, Elect,
SK,
75. MES No. 377092, Kamlesh Kumar s/o Sh. Sudesh Parsad,
Elect, SK,
76. MES No.507739, Mahipal Singh s/o Sh. Hoshiyar Singh, Elect
HS-II,
77. MES No.507755, Bachan Lal s/o Gian Chand, Elect, MCM,
78. MES No. 377097, Varinder Singh s/o Sh. Gurdev Singh, Elect,
SK,
79. MES No. 377224, Rakesh Kumar s/o Sh. Ashok Malhotra, Mate
Elect,
80. MES No. 507867, Bodh Raj s/o Sh. Gian Chand, Elect HS-I,
81. MES No. 507857, Kishori Lal s/o Saran Dass, Elect HS-I,
82. MES No. 507758, Ashok Singh s/o Rai Singh, MCM, FGM,
83. MES No. 487090, Mohinder Singh s/o Partap Singh, Elect, SK
84. MES No. 507885, Kuldip Kumar s/o Sh. Kaka Ram, Elect HS-
I,
85 MES No. 508407, Subash Chand s/o Belo Ram, Elect SK,
86. MES No. 506687, Tarsem Lal s/o Sh. Govind Ram, Elect HS-II,
87. MES No. 507742, Ranjit Singh s/o Pritam Singh, Elect HS-II,
88. MES No. 375838, Vinod Kumar s/o Rajinder Kumar, Elect SK,
89. T No. 842, Sanjeev Singh s/o Suram Singh, Mate FGM,
90 MES No. 508305, Ashok Kumar s/o Charan Dass, Elect HS-II,
99. MES No. 507988, Naresh Kumar s/o Sh. Mansa Ram, Elect HS-
I,
91. MES No. 508262, Naresh Singh s/o Karam Singh, Elect HS-II,
92. T No. 965, Raman Kumar s/o Sh. Khushi Ram, Elect, SK,
5- O.A. No. 1100/2022
93. MES No. 504767, Manohar Lal s/o Baldev Raj, Fitter Pipe HS-
II,
94. MES No. 508113, Balwinderjeet Singh s/o Sh. Ishwar Dass,
MCM, Mason,
95. MES No. 508112, Sharaf Raj s/o Sh. Des Raj, Carp-HS-I,
96. MES No. 507749, Sukhdev Raj s/o Nek Ram, Mate, FGM.
97. MES No. 376589, Anil Kumar s/o Sh. Madan Lal, Mate FGM,
98. A No. 1582039P, Sukhwinder Singh s/o Tarsem Singh, Mate
Pipe Fitter,
99. MES No. 376589, Anil Kumar s/o Sh. Madan Lal, Mate FGM,
Applicant No. 1 to 99 are working in the office of Garrison
Engineer (S), Mamun, Pathankot-145001.
100. MES No. 508257, Kishor Kumar s/o Sh. B.M. Samuel, Painter
HS-II R/o House No. 98, Abrol Nagar Pathankot, Post Office
Pathankot, Distt Pathankot.
101. MES No. 504115, Kishori Lal s/o Nikku Ram, Elect SK, r/o
Village Bhanwal P.O. Sujanpur, Tehsil Pathankot.
102. MES No.508713, R.C. Micheal s/o K.M Pessimisit, Mate FGM
R/o Village Chattwal, Defence Colony, P.O. Jandwal, Tehsil and
Distt Pathankot.
103 MES No. 508695, Joginder Singh s/o Sh. Balwant Singh, FGM-
HS-II R/o House No. 280, Ward No. 11, Mohalla Sunder
Nagar, Pathankot,
104. Sh. Vijay Kumar (MES No. 508694 FGM HS-II), R/o House No.
13-14/266, Dhangu Nagar, Pathankot.
105. MES No. 506556, Som Raj s/o Karam Chand, Elect HS-II, r/o
Village Baharoli Khurd, P.O. Bharoli Kalan, Pathankot.
106. MES No. 506680, Jagdish Singh s/o Bawlant Singh, Elect HS-
II, r/o Ward No. 46, Raghunath Nagar, VPO, Bharoli Kalan,
Bharoli Khurd, Pathankot.
107. MES No. 506548, Rishpal Singh s/o Kehar Singh, Elect SK r/o
Village Karoli, Tehsil Pathankot.
108. Satya Devi w/o Late Sh. Darshan Lal, (MES No. 507778, Elect
HS-II), R/o House No. 265, Gali No. 3, Dhangu Road, Nathu
Nagar, Pathankot.
6- O.A. No. 1100/2022
109. Satya w/o Sh. Vijay Kumar (MES No.508694 FGM HS-II), R/o
House No. B-14/266, Shangu Nagar, Pathankot.
110. MES No. 504700, Ravinder Kumar s/o Piara Lal, Elect HS-I r/o
VPO, Bhoa, Tehsil, Pathankot.
111. MES No. 506678, MES No. Pritam Chand s/o Tej Ram, FGM,
SK, r/o VPO, Jandwal Tehsil Distt. Pathankot,
112. MES No. 506689, Som Raj s/o Desh Raj, VPO Bharoli Kalan,
Tehsil & Distt Pathankot,
113. MES No. 508688, Balwant Singh s/o Punjab Singh, r/o Village
Kalari, PO Bohar Kawali, Tehsil Nurpur, Kangra,
114. MES No. 508710, Rakesh Kumar so Gurdas Mal, FGM-HS,
VPO, Pathankot, Distt Pathankot.
115. Kamla Devi w/o Late Sh. Karam Chand, (MES No. 503481) R/o
VPO Karthara, Tehsil Nurpur, Distt Kangra, (H.P.),
116. Rani Devi w/o Late Sh. Joginder Pal, (MES No. 507789) r/o Vill
Aima Muglan P.O. Sujanpur, Pathankot.
117. MES No. 508703, Rakesh Kumar s/o Sh. Jagdish Raj, FGM HS-
II.
118. MES No. 508962, Joginder Singh s/o Sh. Balwan Singh, FGM,
SK, at GE, (S), Mamun.
119. MES No. 508963, Rana Singh, s/o Shankar Dass, FGM, SK, at
GE, (S), Mamun,
120. MES No.508255, Gurdev Singh s/o Balwant Singh, FGM, SK, at
GE, (N), Mamun,
121. MES No. 507745, Jagir Singh s/o Sh. Sardar Singh, FGM, SK,
at GE, (N), Mamun,
(All the applicants are Group-C employees)
....Applicants
(By Advocate: Mr. K.B. Sharma)
Versus
1. Union of India through Secretary to Govt. of India, Ministry of
Defence, New Delhi-110011. (E-Mail: [email protected]).
7- O.A. No. 1100/2022
2. Engineer in Chief, Ministry of Defence, Kashmir House, Raja ji
Marg, Army HQ, New Delhi-110001 (E:Mail dircoord-
[email protected]).
3. Chief Engineer, Head Quarter, MES, Western Command,
Chandimandir-134107. (E-mail: [email protected]).
4. HQ, Commander Works Engineer, MES, Mamun, Pathankot-
145001.
5. Garrison Engineer, MES, (South), Mamun, District Pathankot,
Punjab.-145001.
6. Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (Western
Command), Sector-9, Chandigarh-160009.
7. Garrison Engineer, MES, Nort, Mamun-, District Pathankot,
Punjab.-145001.
.. .Respondents
(By Advocate: Mr. Sanjay Goyal)
O R D E R (Oral)
Per: SURESH KUMAR BATRA MEMBER (J):-
1. The applicants have filed present Original Application under Section 19 of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 seeking the following relief:-
"(i) That a direction be issued to the respondents to grant Dress Allowance to the applicants w.e.f. 1.7.2017 along with arrears of the same etc. by extending them benefit of decision rendered by this Tribunal in the case of Gurmeet Singh and Ors Vs. UOI and Others, O.A. No. 1228/2019, allowed on 5.6.2020 (Annexure A-6) and upheld by the Hon‟ble Punjab and Haryana High Court vide order dated 4.10.2021, in the interest of justice.
(ii) That it be declared that the applicants are entitled to benefit of Dress Allowance w.e.f. 1.7.2017 in terms of O.M. 8- O.A. No. 1100/2022 dated 02.08.2017 and 31.08.2017 issued by Govt. of India along with all consequential benefits like arrears etc."
2. The pleaded case of the applicants is that they are Industrial employees, working as MCM, FGM, Elect (SK), Mate Elect, Carp, Painter, Pipe Fitter etc. (industrial Staff) and are Group-C employees under the control of the respondents no. 4. Prior to implementation of recommendations of 7th CPC, the Industrial employees like applicants were provided Dangri (Dress) yearly and washing Allowance per month. But on the recommendations of 7 th CPC, the respondents stopped providing same to the employees like applicants. The applicants continued to get washing allowance till March, 2017 and providing Dangri was stopped to them w.e.f. 01.01.2016. The Government of India, Ministry of Finance issued Office Memorandum dated 02.08.2017 (Annexure A-1) , whereby a decision was taken and existing orders relating to Uniform Related Allowance, Clothing Allowance, Robe Allowance, Robe Maintenance allowance, Shoe Allowance, Uniform Allowance and Washing Allowance were subsumed in a single Dress Allowance amounting to Rs.5000/- per annum. Subsequently, the Government of India, DoP&T issued Office Memorandum dated 31.08.2017 (Annexure A-
2) providing that in supersession of the existing orders relating to admissibility of Uniform Allowance/Washing Allowance/stitching charges/Shoe allowance etc. to common categories of Group-C and erstwhile Group-D employees of various Ministries/Department including attached/subordinate offices, who are supplied uniform and required to wear them regularly, they shall be paid Dress Allowance @ Rs.5000/- per year.
9- O.A. No. 1100/2022
3. Pursuant to Office Memorandums dated 02.08.2017 and 31.08.2017, Respondent No. 4 issued circular dated 02.08.2018 (Annexure A-4) whereby all the sub Offices were directed to grant Dress Allowance to the employees(Industrial/Non-Industrial), who are wearing Uniform and/or were drawing washing allowance. Pursuant thereto, some Units of the respondent department like Adampur, Kapurthala, Ferozepur, Patiala, Chandigarh and Chandimandir etc. sanctioned Dress Allowance to the Industrial employees for the year 2017-18, 2018-19 @ Rs.5,000/- each year. Later on, the respondent no. 6 issued letter dated 15.11.2019 (Annexure A-5) whereby it was decided to recover the Dress Allowance from the industrial employees paid for the year 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 by stating that at present the entitlement of dress allowance to the industrial employees yet to be decided.
4. Learned counsel for the applicants argued that the identical issue regarding entitlement of Industrial employees to Dress Allowance @ Rs.5000/- per annum has been considered and decided by this Tribunal in a bunch of matters with leading case titled Gurmit Singh Vs. Union of India & Others (O.A. No. 1228/2019 decided on 05.06.2020) wherein the applicants (therein), who are similarly situated like the applicants herein, have been held entitled to Dress Allowance and a direction has been issued to respondents to refund the recovered amount towards dress allowance. The decision of this Tribunal in the case of Gurmit Singh (supra) has been upheld by the Hon‟ble High Court of Punjab and Haryana vide order dated 04.10.2021 in CWP No. 19317 of 2021 titled Union of India & ors Vs. Vinod Kumar and Others. It has been submitted 10- O.A. No. 1100/2022 that the orders dated 05.06.2020 of this Tribunal have been implemented qua the applicants therein. It has been prayed that the applicants being the similarly situated like the applicants in the case of Gurmit Singh (supra) be granted the benefit of decision dated 05.06.2020 in the case of Gurmit Singh( Supra), as affirmed by the Hon‟ble High Court of Punjab and Haryana.
5. Learned counsel for the respondents could not dispute the fact that the action of the respondents in withdrawing the benefit of dress allowance has been held to be unsustainable by this Tribunal in the case of Gurmit Singh (Supra) and the applicants therein have been granted the relevant benefit.
6. I have gone through the pleadings and perused the decision of this Tribunal in the case of Gurmit Singh (supra) and judgment dated 04.10.2021 of the Hon‟ble High Court of Punjab and Haryana in the C.W.P. No. 19317/2021 challenging the decision of this Tribunal. The applicants herein are similarly situated like the applicants in the case of Gurmit Singh (supra), who have already been granted the benefit of dress allowance, therefore, the respondents cannot deny the similar benefit to the applicants herein, in view of the law laid down by the Hon‟ble High Court of Punjab and Haryana in the case of Satbir Singh Vs. State of Haryana, 2002 (2) SCT 354.
7. In view of the above facts and law position on the issue, the present Original Application is disposed of with a direction to respondents to decide the claim of applicants for grant of Dress Allowance in the light of the decision of this Tribunal in the case of 11- O.A. No. 1100/2022 Gurmit Singh (supra), within a period of three months from the date of receipt of a certified copy of this order. No costs.
(SURESH KUMAR BATRA) MEMBER (J) „mw‟