Rajasthan High Court – Jodhpur
Dr. Jogdand Ashok Laxman Rao vs State & Anr on 14 November, 2008
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             S.B.CIVIL WRIT PETITION NO.5769/2008
                     Dr.Jogdand Ashok Laxman Rao
                                 v.
                      State of Rajasthan & Anr.
        Date of Order            ::          14 th November, 2008
                HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE GOVIND MATHUR
Mr. S.P.Sharma, for the petitioner.
Mr. Deepak Choudhary, for the respondents.
                                      ....
               The     petitioner,           an      Assistant       Surgeon
(Veterinary),           was      transferred          from        Veterinary
Hospital,       Paldi     (Nagaur)         to      Veterinary      Hospital,
Chhoti Khatu. The transfer aforesaid was said to be
made    at     the     request        of   the      petitioner      himself.
However, the petitioner denied that and claimed for
travelling allowance and joining time as a consequent
to his transfer under the order dated 31.7.2007. By an
another order dated 28.6.2008 the petitioner is again
subjected to transfer from Chhoti Khatu to Veterinary
Hospital, Karnu in District Nagaur and again he is
said to be transferred at his own request.
               While    challenging          the    order    of     transfer
dated 28.6.2008,         the     contention of         counsel      for   the
petitioner is that the petitioner has been transferred
under    the    orders        dated    31.7.2007      and    28.6.2008     by
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showing the same made under his own request though no
such request was ever made.
            This    court      on    14.8.2008          issued     notice     to
show cause to the respondents and after service of the
same matter was listed before the Court on 23.10.2008.
On 23.10.2008 counsel for the respondents sought time
to file reply to the writ petition and the matter was
adjourned    for     3.11.2008.           After       getting    the     matter
adjourned, the Director, Animal Husbandry, passed an
order dated 3.11.2008 making a correction in the order
dated 28.6.2008 to treat transfer of the petitioner in
administrative exigency instead of at his own request.
Nothing is said in reply to the writ petition relating
to the order dated 31.7.2007. No reason is given by
the respondents as to why the petitioner was shown to
be    transferred    at    his      own    request       under     the   order
dated    31.7.2007        as   well        as     in    the     order    dated
28.6.2008. In very casual manner it is stated that the
transfer    of     the    petitioner            was     actually    made      in
administrative exigency but by mistake it was shown as
effected at his own request. On asking, counsel for
the    respondents       utterly     failed        to    satisfy       how   the
error occurred relating to the petitioner twice and
why no joining time and travelling allowance is yet
allowed to the petitioner for the transfer made under
order dated 31.7.2007.
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                 Though    in       normal   course     the    Court     is   not
required         to     ask     for    the      administrative          exigency
warranting transfer of the petitioner, however, in the
instant matter, looking to the dubious circumstances,
the Court asked counsel for the respondents to give
reason or to satisfy the administrative exigency for
effecting transfer of the petitioner within a period
of 11 months and that too by showing his transfer at
his own request. The respondents patently failed to
satisfy court's query. The respondents also failed to
satisfy as to how the error relating to the petitioner
occurred twice and why no joining time and travelling
allowance is yet given to him as a consequent to the
order       of     transfer         dated     31.7.2007.        It     is     also
pertinent to note that corrigendum to the order dated
28.6.2008          was        not     issued      by     the         respondents
immediately           after     receiving        notices       of     the     writ
petition but was made after seeking time to file reply
to    the        writ     petition       i.e.     on         3.11.2008.       The
circumstances of the case left me with no option but
to infer that the transfer of the petitioner was not
in    administrative            exigency      but      was    for     extraneous
consideration.
                 For the reasons whatever stated above, this
petition for writ deserves acceptance and, therefore,
the     same      is     allowed.       The     order        dated     28.6.2008
transferring the petitioner from Veterinary Hospital,
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Chhoti    Khatu   to   Veterinary   Hospital,   Karnu,   stands
quashed.
            No order to costs.
                                        ( GOVIND MATHUR ),J.
kkm/ps.