Kerala High Court
Union Of India vs Jayakumar.S on 25 November, 2016
Author: P. Somarajan
Bench: P.R.Ramachandra Menon, P.Somarajan
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALAATERNAKULAM
PRESENT:
THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE P.R.RAMACHANDRA MENON
&
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P.SOMARAJAN
FRIDAY,THE 25TH DAYOF NOVEMBER 2016/4TH AGRAHAYANA, 1938
OP (CAT).No. 4431 of 2012 (Z)
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AGAINST THE ORDER IN OA 224/2011 of CENTRAL ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL,
ERNAKULAM BENCH DATED14-08-2012
PETITIONERS : -
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1. UNION OF INDIA,
REP. BYTHE COMPTROLLER AND AUDITOR GENERAL OF INDIA,
9, DEENDAYALUPADHYA MARG, NEW DELHI-110124.
2. THE PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT GENERAL (ACCOUNTS AND
ENTITLEMENT), KERALA, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM.
BY ADV.SRI.V.V.ASHOKAN,SC,IA & AD
RESPONDENTS : -
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1. JAYAKUMAR.S, SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, BOOK I SECTION,
OFFICE OF THE ACCOUNTANTGENERAL (ACCOUNTS AND
ENTITLEMENT), KERALA, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM,
NOW RESIDING ATT.C.8/897(4), HOUSE NO.168, AVANTIKA,
ARAYALLOOR,ELLUVILA NAGAR, THIRUMALA,
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-16.
2. N.SASIDHARAN, SENIOR ACCOUNTANT,AC SECTION,
OFFICE OF THE ACCOUNTANTGENERAL (ACCOUNTS AND
ENTITLEMENT), KERALA, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM,
NOW RESIDING ATSUNITHA MANDIRAM, PERUNGUZHY P.O.,
MUTTAPPALAM-695305.
3. NARAYANAN NAIR K.K., SENIOR ACCOUNTANT,
DAE 6 SECTION, OFFICE OF THE ACCOUNTANT GENERAL (ACCOUNTS
AND ENTITLEMENT) KERALA, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM,
NOW RESIDING ATV.P.16/36, MINI BHAVAN, PERUKAVU P.O.,
EX-SERVICE NAGAR, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695001.
4. JOHTIBHAS.M., SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, DAE 5,
OFFICE OF THE ACCOUNTANTGENERAL (ACCOUNTS AND ETITLEMENT)
KERALA, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, RESIDING ATASWATHI,
MAVARTHALAKONAM, NALANCHIRA P.O.,
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695015.
OP (CAT).No. 4431 of 2012 (Z)
5. INDRIAMMA.A., SENIOR ACCOUNTANT,
EDP(PF) SECTION, ASWATHI, MAVARTHALAKONAM,
NALANCHIRA P.O., THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695015.
6. K.PRASANNAN, SENIOR ACCOUNTANT (RTD),
LA 4 SECTION, AMBADY HOUSE, PADANILAM P.O.,
NOORANADU, ALAPPUZHA-690504.
7. RAJEE RAJAN, AAO(ADHOC), BOOK I SETION,
SURABHI, BLRA-55, PANCHAMI LANE,
MARAKKAMUTTOM, NEYYATTINKARA P.O.,
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695121.
8. CHACKO K.M., SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, EDP (PF) SECTION,
M.G.R.A-23, T.K.D.ROAD, MARAPPALAM, PATTOM,
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695021.
9. VINOD V.G.,SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, PF-13 SECTION, T.C.24/161,
THYCAUD P.O., THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-14.
10. PRASTINA ANDREWS, SENIOR ACCOUNTANT,
EDP(PF) SECTION, T.C.II/1014, NANTHANCODE,
KOWDIAR P.O.,THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695003.
11. SOBHA KUMAR.B., AAO(A), EDP (PF) SECTION,
VENIKITANIVAS, SASTHANAGAR,
SIVANKOVIL STREET, KARAMANA,
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695002.
12. VASANTHA SUDARSANAN,
SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, EDP(PF) SECTION, 'SWATHI',
K.P.XI 145-A, RBA-34, RAMAPURATHU LANE, NCC ROAD,
AMBALAMUKKU, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695005.
13. SREEJU KUMARJI, SENIOR ACCOUNTANT,
GE 9 SECTION, CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OFFICERS' COLONY,
QR.NO.35, BLOCK-6, TYPE III, MELETHUMELE,
VATTIYOORKAVU P.O.,THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695013.
14. JALAJAKUMARI G.S., SENIOR ACCOUNTANT,
AC SECTION, T.C.50 / 490(3), A-9, MAYOORALANE,
MARUTHOORKADAVU, KARAMANA P.O.,
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695002.
15. SHEEBA CYRUS, AAO (A), TM SECTION, TC 27/1946,
CHIRAKULAM ROAD, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695001.
16. ROSHINI.V, SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, TM SECTION, 'KRISHNA KRIPA',
KARAKKATTU LANE, NEMOM P.O., THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695028.
OP (CAT).No. 4431 of 2012 (Z)
17. R.SASIKALA, SENIOR ACCOUNTANT,
LA-CELL (MCA) SECTION, NEERANJANAM, VPS:316(A),
VATTAVILA, THIRUMALA P.O.,THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695132.
18. SUMARETHNAM.R., SENIOR ACCOUNTANT,
PEN-7 SECTION, T.C.18/183(1), D.S.VILLA, KUNNAPPUZHA,
ARAMADA P.O.,THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695032.
19. BINDU M.L., SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, PF 47 SECTION,
VARA-311, HILL VIEW LANE, ARAPPURA ROAD,
VATTIYOORKAVU, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695003.
20. PREETHA V.S.,AAO, PM SECTION, T.C.9/2208,
SARANATH,KURUP'S LANE, SASTHAMANGALAM,
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-12.
21. K.S.SHIBU, SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, DAE-2 SECTION,
T.C.16/411(I), 'KUNNEL' VEERABHADRA GARDEN,
POTTAKUZHY, PATTOM P.O.,THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-16.
22. GETTIS MARY.R,SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, IAD,
J.M.HOUSE, T.C.34/472, KANNANTHURA, BEACH P.O.,
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695007.
23. R.RAJEEV SEKHAR, SERNIOR ACCOUNTANT, DC-3,
"RAKENDU", DEVI NAGAR, KANNAMMOOLA,
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695011.
24. VENUGOPALA VARMA G.K., SENIOR ACCOUNTANT,
CANTEEN CELL, 'KAUSTHUBHAM', VARA-570, ARAPPURA,
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695013.
25. PAHAD P.S.,SENIOR ACCOUNTANT/ED P-PF,
BISMILLAH, HOUSE NO.46, MOSQUE LANE,
KESAVADASAPURAM, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-13.
26. VIJAYA.R.,AAO(A) I BILLS (OE), OMKAR, TC 50/1468(12) TARA-24,
VILAYIL LANE, THALIYAL, KARAMANA P.O.,
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695002.
27. ANNIE ANTO, ACCOUNTANT/GE 16,
NOW RESIDING ATVRA-A39, NEAR KHADI BOARD OFFICE,
VANCHIYOOR, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695035.
28. NALINI MENON, AAO, PF 36,
NOW RESIDING ATFNRA-9, POONTHI ROAD,
KUMARAPURAM, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-22.
29. BIJU ARAVIND, SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, RRD (PEN) SECTION,
'KARUNYA', VC NO.9/431, PCRA.A12, PEYAD P.O.,
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-21.
OP (CAT).No. 4431 of 2012 (Z)
30. SUMA A.S., AAO/BK-2, 'RADUVI', NEAR CSI CHURCH,
KERALADITYAPURAM, POWDIKONAM P.O.,
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-15.
31. ANIL KUMAR K.S., SENIOR ACCOUNTANT/RRD (PEN),
NOW RESIDING ATTC 6/483 (4), ANURAGH, ARAPPURA,
VATTIYOORKAVU P.O.,THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-13.
32. MAYAP.I., AA0 (ADHOC), PAO-2 SECTION,
HOUSE NO.305-D, DARSHAN NAGAR, PEROORKADA-695009,
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM.
33. BOBAN M.S., SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, GE-18 SECTION,
TC 41/2186, VALIAPALLI ROAD, MANACAUD P.O.,
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695009.
34. HARI SANKAR.N., SENIOR ACCOUNTANT/DC 4,
CPRA 21, LAKSHMI VIKAS, STATUE, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-12.
35. BABYARBRAHAM, SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, EDP (PF),
35-A BAPUJI NAGAR, PONGUMMOODU,
MEDICAL COLLEGE, P.O.,THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695011.
36. A.N.SABOORA, SENIOR ACCOUNTANT/PF-I,
NOW RESIDING ATSHALIMAR, HOUSE NO.28-A N.V.NAGAR,
PEROORKADA, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695005.
37. VANATHI.A., SERNIOR ACCOUNTANT, PR CELL-2,
NOW RESIDING AT 20/98C, 'RAJARAJESWARI' EDAITHARAU,
PALACEWARD,KUZHITHURAI, KANYAKUMARI DIST-629163.
38. NEENA.P., SENIOR ACCOUNTANT/GE 30,
NOW RESIDING ATQUARTER NO.8, TYPE IV, C.G.A. COMPLEX,
POONGULAM-18.
39. ELIZABETH MINI JACOB, SENIOR ACCOUNTANT,
DAE-2 SECTION, NOW RESIDING ATFLATNO.305,
BLOCK II, EMS NAGAR, PATTOOR, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-12.
R1 TO 39 BY ADV.SRI.R.V.SREEJITH
THIS OP (CAT) HAVING BEEN FINALLYHEARD ON 25-11-2016,
THE COURT ON THE SAME DAYDELIVERED THE FOLLOWING:
OP (CAT).No. 4431 of 2012 (Z)
APPENDIX
PETITIONERS' EXHIBITS :
EXHIBIT P1 : TRUE COPY OF THE OA 224/2011 FILED BY THE RESPONDENTS
BEFORE THE CATERNAKULAM BENCH.
EXHIBIT P2 : TRUE COPY OF THE REPLYSTATEMENT FILED BY THE
PETITIONERS.
EXHIBIT P3 : TRUE COPY OF THE ORDER OF THE CENTRAL ADMINISTRATIVE
TRIBUNAL, ERNAKULAM BENCH IN OA No. 224/2011.
RESPONDENTS' EXHIBIT : NIL.
// TRUE COPY //
P.A.TO JUDGE
DMR/-
P.R. RAMACHANDRA MENON
&
P. SOMARAJAN, JJ.
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O.P. (CAT) No. 4431 of 2012
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Dated this the 25th day of November, 2016
J U D G M E N T
P.R. Ramachandra Menon, J.
Petitioners were the respondents in the O.A. The challenge is against Exhibit P3 order passed by the Central Administrative Tribunal, Ernakulam in O.A. No.224/2011, granting the benefit of Deputation Allowance in respect of the service rendered by the respondents as Data Entry Operators.
2. The O.A. was filed with the following prayers:
"i) To direct the respondents to grant the applicants to grade pay attached to the post of Accountants and Senior Accountants as the case may be, with effect from 1.1.2006 with interest till the date of payment.
ii) To declare the clause (g) of Annexure A2 O.M. is not applicable to the applicants as they were deputed years back.
iii) To direct the respondents 1 and 2 to consider and pass orders on Annexures A8 to A45 representations as expeditiously as possible, and at O.P. (CAT) No. 4431 of 2012 2 any rate within a time limit to be fixed by this Hon'ble Tribunal, considering the recommendations in Annexure A4 and Annexure A45.
iv) To call for the records leading to Annexure A7 memorandum and quash the same to the extent it is objected."
3. The claim was resisted by the respondents. After hearing both the sides, the Tribunal observed that a part of the grievance raised in respect of the eligible 'grade pay' stands already redressed, by virtue of the stand disclosed from paragraph 4 of the reply affidavit and that the only question which was remaining for consideration was entitlement of the applicants for Deputation Allowance, whose scale was identical with that of Data Entry Operator.
4. By virtue of Rule 4.1 of the Fundamental Rules, an employee on deputation/foreign service, may elect to draw either the pay in the scale of pay of deputation/foreign service post or his/her basic pay in the parent cadre plus deputation (Duty) Allowance thereon plus personal pay, if any. The rate of Deputation Allowance is also stipulated under Rule 6 of the said Rules, which has also been O.P. (CAT) No. 4431 of 2012 3 extracted by the Tribunal in the verdict under challenge. After applying the Rule position to the given facts, the Tribunal observed that denying Deputation Allowance to the applicants whose pay scale and Grade Pay in the parent cadre are higher than those attached to the deputation post would mean that they have to work without any incentive. The observation as given in paragraph 14 is extracted below.
"14. Denying deputation allowance to the applicants whose pay scale and Grade Pay in the Parent Cadre are higher than those attached to the deputation post would mean that they have to work without any incentive. Again, others having lower pay scale in the Parent Cadre would be granted pay scale attached to the deputation post, which would be sizable. If this anomalous situation is to be obviated, then, grant of Deputation Allowance to the applicants is the lone ventilation. Or else, the applicants may have to be repatriated after paying the deputation allowance from the initial date of deputation till the date of their repatriation to the parent cadre."
5. It was based on the said reasoning that the O.A. was disposed of, giving appropriate directions as contained in paragraph 15 which is reproduced below for convenience O.P. (CAT) No. 4431 of 2012 4 of reference.
"15. In view of the above, the OA is disposed of with a direction to the respondents that as regards deputation allowance, a conscious decision be taken at the level of Respondent No.1 and if it is proposed to grant 5% deputation allowance, the same be passed, however, from the date of deputation. If it is decided to repatriate the applicants, then accordingly suitable orders be passed, but in any event, grant of 5%/10% deputation allowance as the case may be, for the period the applicants had performed the duties of Data Entry Officers cannot be withheld and the same shall have to be paid, irrespective of their continuance in the deputation post or repatriation to parent department. If any amount has been recovered in the past, the same shall be refunded forthwith."
6. After hearing both the sides, we find that the verdict passed by the Tribunal is perfectly within the four walls of the law and is not assailable under any circumstance. No tenable ground has been raised to call for interference. Accordingly, the original petition stands dismissed.
O.P. (CAT) No. 4431 of 2012 5
However, taking note of the submissions made by the learned Standing Counsel for the petitioners, we find it appropriate to grant a further period of 'two months' to give effect to the order passed by the Tribunal.
P.R. RAMACHANDRA MENON JUDGE P. SOMARAJAN JUDGE DMR/-