M/S. Bharat Coking Coal Lmited vs Shiv Nath Roy on 29 June, 2022
"8. In the above background it is to be noticed as to whether the
consideration as made by the High Court is justified. The learned counsel
for the respondent with specific reference to para 10 in the order [Shyam
Kishore Singh v. Bharat Coking Coal Ltd., 2017 SCC OnLine Jhar 3061]
of the learned Single Judge referred to the aspect wherein the learned
Single Judge has taken note of the representation made by the respondent
in the year 2009 and the verification that was secured by the appellants
from the Bihar School Examination Board. Though such reference is made,
in our opinion, the same was not appropriate in the present facts when
three decades had elapsed from the date of employment. The position is well
established that if a particular date of birth is entered in the service
register, a change sought cannot be entertained at the fag end of service
after accepting the same to be correct during entire service. In the instant
facts the position is that the respondent entered service on 1-3-1982. The
date of birth entered as 4-3-1950 has remained on record from the said
date. The requirement to submit the nomination form indicating the
particulars of the family and the nominee was complied with and it was
submitted by the respondent on 25-5-1998. In the said nomination form
the date of birth of the employee was required to be mentioned, wherein the
respondent in his own handwriting has indicated the date of birth as 4-3-
1950. Apart from that fact, the learned Additional Solicitor General would
also point out that since there was a change in the method of maintaining
the service register, all the employees were provided an opportunity to
verify and seek for change in the service record in the year 1987. At that
stage also the respondent did not seek for any change. Therefore, in that
circumstance, when the opportunity available at the first instance in 1987
had not been availed and thereafter on 25-5-1998 when the respondent
himself in the Provident Fund nomination form had indicated the date of
birth as 4-3-1950 which corresponds to the date of birth entered in the
service register as on the date of commencement of the employment, merely
because a verification was made from the Bihar School Examination Board
and even if it was confirmed that the date of birth was 20-1-1955 such
change at that stage was not permissible.