Punjab-Haryana High Court
Gurpreet Singh vs State Of Punjab And Others on 29 January, 2026
Author: Anupinder Singh Grewal
Bench: Anupinder Singh Grewal
LPA-3485-2025 (O&M) 1
119
IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA
AT CHANDIGARH
LPA-3485-2025 (O&M)
Date of decision : 29.01.2026
GURPREET SINGH ..Appellant
Vs.
STATE OF PUNJAB AND OTHERS ..Respondents
CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE ANUPINDER SINGH GREWAL
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE DEEPAK MANCHANDA
Present: Mr. Vikas Kuthiala, Advocate,
for the appellant.
Ms. Arundhati Kulshreshtha, AAG, Punjab.
***
DEEPAK MANCHANDA, J.
CM-8622-LPA-2025 The present application seeks a delay of 2970 days in filing the appeal.
Learned counsel for the appellant submits that the matter remained under consideration at various official levels to determine whether the case was fit for filing an appeal, which resulted in the delay.
Heard.
The application for condonation of delay is vague and lacking in material particulars. No proper or sufficient explanation has been furnished to justify such an inordinate delay.
Consequently, no sufficient cause is made out for condoning the 1 of 5 ::: Downloaded on - 14-02-2026 00:40:31 ::: LPA-3485-2025 (O&M) 2 delay in filing the appeal. However, having heard learned counsel for the appellants at some length, we deem it appropriate to consider the merits of the appeal as well.
Main Case Through the present intra-court appeal, the appellant has assailed the impugned judgment dated 10.08.2017, whereby the writ petition filed by the appellant was dismissed on the ground that the respondent-PSPCL's elimination of backlog reserved vacancies for the Scheduled Caste category in the direct recruitment process for the post of Lineman, while issuing the advertisement, is not justified.
2. The brief facts emerging from the pleadings in the present appeal are that the appellant, being a Scheduled Caste candidate holding a diploma in the trade of Electrician/Lineman, challenged Advertisement No. 281/13 issued by PSPCL for the recruitment of Linemen and elimination of backlog vacancies, by filing a writ petition and the same stands dismissed. Feeling aggrieved, the appellant has filed the intra-court appeal.
3. Learned counsel for the appellant submits that the learned Single Judge failed to apply Section 6 of the Act of 2006, which mandates that backlog or carry-forward vacancies are to be treated as a separate category, to which the 50% ceiling does not apply. It is further submitted that the learned Single Judge wrongly accepted the figures supplied by PSPCL without critically examining the earlier RTI information and advertisements, which themselves acknowledged a backlog of 739 vacancies reserved for the SC category. He further submits that the impugned judgment has resulted in the continued deprivation of employment opportunities to eligible Scheduled Caste candidates 2 of 5 ::: Downloaded on - 14-02-2026 00:40:32 ::: LPA-3485-2025 (O&M) 3 against long-standing backlog vacancies. Hence, the impugned judgment deserves to be set aside.
4. Heard.
5. The relevant findings recorded by the learned Single Judge are given hereinbelow:
"Appended along with the written statement is even the affidavit of the Deputy Secretary (Zones) PSPCL and submitted to the Punjab State Scheduled Caste Commission at Annexure R-1. The deposition contained in such affidavit would be relevant. There is a reference to memo dated 21.10.2011, issued by PSPCL containing instructions for reservation and promotions of the Scheduled Castes and Backward Class. Under Para-6 Sub Clause 3, the backlog of carried forward reservation vacancies for Scheduled Castes is to be included keeping in view the total number of vacancies filled up in each cadre of service. It has also been deposed in the affidavit at Annexure R-1 that the Cadre capacity of Linemen in the corporation is 14348 and 50% of which, by way of direct recruitment comes to 7174 posts. As per Regulation 6(1) of the Technical Services Grade III 1996 Rules, 50% quota has been stipulated to be filled up through direct recruitment. Further it is clarified that as on the date of filing of the affidavit the number of Lineman working through direct recruitment is 3201 and by taking reservation to be 25% of the posts of Scheduled Castes Category, the number arrived at is 800.
Furthermore, at Annexure R-2 placed on record, along with a written statement, a tabulation reflecting the direct recruitment position as on 31.03.2011 has been furnished and which as follows:
Direct recruitment position as on 31.03.2011 is 3201 Lineman against the total strength of 14348 Lineman.
Falls under Filled Reserved Actual Remarks quota of posts SC post direct category filled recruitment i.e. 25% 50% of of 3201 total cadre strength 3 of 5 ::: Downloaded on - 14-02-2026 00:40:32 ::: LPA-3485-2025 (O&M) 4 7174 (50% 3201 800 809 Additional of 14348) 9 No. SC category Lineman is working in PSPCL The tabulation reproduced hereinabove, makes it clear that against 800 vacancies reserved for Scheduled Castes Category, the actual filled up posts are 809 in the Corporation.
The factual assertion contained in the written statement as also the Annexure appended along with, has not met with any rebuttal at the hands of the petitioners by way of filing a replication.
In view of the above, the grievance of the petitioners as regards the Corporation having eliminated the backlog reserved vacancies of the Scheduled Castes Category in the process of direct recruitment to the post of Lineman while issuing advertisement at Annexure P-4, is not well founded."
6. A perusal of the impugned judgment reveals that an advertisement bearing No. C.R.A.-267/11 was issued in the year 2011 for the recruitment of 5000 Linemen (tentative) on contract basis. The advertisement further indicated that 739 posts (tentative) were reserved to meet the backlog of vacancies in the Scheduled Castes category.
7. The learned Single Judge referred to an affidavit filed by the Deputy Secretary (Zones), PSPCL, wherein it was stated that the backlog of carried- forward reserved vacancies for the Scheduled Castes is to be considered in the context of the total number of vacancies filled in each cadre of service. It was clarified that, at the time of filing the affidavit, the number of Linemen working through direct recruitment was 3201 and applying the 25% reservation for the Scheduled Caste category, the number of reserved posts comes to 800. The learned Single Judge recorded that, against the 800 vacancies reserved for the 4 of 5 ::: Downloaded on - 14-02-2026 00:40:32 ::: LPA-3485-2025 (O&M) 5 Scheduled Caste category, 809 SC candidates were already in service. On this basis, the learned Single Judge dismissed the writ petition, holding that the respondent-corporation's elimination of backlog reserved vacancies for the Scheduled Castes category in the direct recruitment process to the post of Lineman was not justified.
8. During the proceedings, learned counsel for the appellant has apprised this Court that the respondent-PSPCL did not continue with the selection process and abated the same midway and nothing has been brought to our notice to indicate that the Corporation subsequently completed the process.
9. This position has also been fairly conceded by the learned State counsel.
10. In view of the above, this Court is not inclined to interfere with the impugned judgment passed by the learned Single Judge. Consequently, the application seeking condonation of delay as well as the main appeal is dismissed.
11. All pending miscellaneous application(s), if any, also stand disposed of.
(DEEPAK MANCHANDA) (ANUPINDER SINGH GREWAL )
JUDGE JUDGE
29.01.2026
sandeep
Whether speaking/reasoned : Yes No
Whether Reportable : Yes No
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