Gauhati High Court
Abu Naser Mohed Ali vs The State Of Assam And 5 Ors on 24 March, 2021
Author: Michael Zothankhuma
Bench: Michael Zothankhuma
Page No.# 1/3
GAHC010055682021
THE GAUHATI HIGH COURT
(HIGH COURT OF ASSAM, NAGALAND, MIZORAM AND ARUNACHAL PRADESH)
Case No. : WP(C)/2103/2021
ABU NASER MOHED ALI
S/O- LT. MAHSEN ALI, R/O- VILL- ALI PARA, P.S. AND P.O. GOALPARA
DIST.- GOALPARA, ASSAM, PIN- 783101
VERSUS
THE STATE OF ASSAM AND 5 ORS
REP. BY THE COMM. AND SECY. TO THE GOVT. OF ASSAM, IRRIGATION
DEPTT., DISPUR, GHY-6
2:THE COMM. AND SECY. TO THE GOVT. OF ASSAM
PENSION AND PUBLIC GRIEVANCES DEPTT.
DISPUR
GHY-6
3:THE CHIEF ENGINEER
IRRIGATION DEPTT.
CHANDMARI
GHY-03
4:THE ACCOUNTANT GENERAL (A AND E)
ASSAM
MAIDAMGAON
BELTOLA
GHY-29
5:THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER
GOALPARA MECHANICAL DIVISION (IRRIGATION)
DIST.- GOALPARA
ASSAM
PIN- 783101
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6:THE TREASURY OFFICER
GOALPARA TREASURY
DIST.- GOALPARA
(ASSAM)
PIN- 78310
Advocate for the Petitioner : MR. K R PATGIRI
Advocate for the Respondent : SC, IRRIGATION
BEFORE
HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE MICHAEL ZOTHANKHUMA
ORDER
Date : 24-03-2021 Heard Mr. K.R. Patgiri, learned counsel for the petitioner, who submits that the petitioner was engaged as a Muster Roll worker in the office of the respondent No. 5 on 01.02.1992. The petitioner's service was thereafter regularized w.e.f. 22.07.2005. The petitioner retired from service on 31.03.2012. The petitioner thereafter submitted his pension papers. However, the same had not been processed on the ground that the petitioner had not completed 20 years of service.
2. He submits that the present case is a covered case and in terms of the judgment and order dated 04.12.2018 passed in the case of Sanjita Roy and Others vs. State of Assam and Others, (WP(C) 1089/2015), the entire service period of the petitioner as a Muster Roll worker has to be verified to see whether the Muster Roll worker had completed 20 years of service. He accordingly submits that if there is no deduction of 6 years of service from the petitioner's entire service period as a Muster Roll worker, the petitioner would have completed 25 years of service. He accordingly submits that a direction should be issued to the respondent authorities to verify whether the petitioner had the benchmark of 20 years of Page No.# 3/3 service as a Muster Roll worker, without deducting any year of service as a Muster Roll worker and if the petitioner had 20 years of continuous service as a Muster Roll worker, the respondents should process the pension papers of the petitioner for payment.
3. Ms. M.D. Borah appearing for respondent No. 2, Mr. B. Gogoi appearing for respondent No. 6, Mr. N. Upadhyay appearing for respondent Nos. 1, 3 & 5 and Mr. R. Dhar appearing for respondent No. 4 fairly submit that the present case is covered by the judgment and order dated 04.12.2018 passed in the case of Sanjita Roy (supra).
4. In view of the submissions made by the counsels for the parties and keeping in view the judgment and order dated 04.12.2018 passed in Sanjita Roy and Others vs. State of Assam and Others (WP(C) 1089/2015), the respondent authorities are directed to determine the continuous length of service of the petitioner as a Muster Roll worker, without any deduction of his service period as a Muster Roll worker and if such service period meets the benchmark of 20 years, the benefit of pension should be made available to the petitioner. The counting of 20 years will include the entire period of Muster Roll service i.e. prior to regularization and after regularization. The exercise should be completed within a period of 3 months from the date of receipt of a certified copy of this order. The terminal gratuity already paid to the petitioner shall be adjusted from the pension payable to the petitioner, if any.
5. The writ petition is accordingly disposed of.
JUDGE Comparing Assistant