Section 3(1)(a) in Haryana Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 2016
(a)"appointing authority" means,-(i)the authority empowered to make appointments to the service of which the Government employee is for the time being a member ; or(ii)the authority empowered to make appointments to the post which the Government employee for the time being holds ; or(iii)the authority which appointed the Government employee to such service, pay structure or post, as the case may be; or(iv)where the Government employee having been a permanent member of any other service or having held any other post, has been in continuous employment of the Government, the authority which appointed him to that service or to that post whichever authority is the highest authority;